Mia Farrow Opens Up About the Deaths of 3 of Her 14 Children After 'Vicious Rumors' Surface

The actress' daughter Tam died at 17, daughter Lark died at 35, and her son Thaddeus died at 29

Mia Farrow is opening up about the deaths of her three late children Tam, Lark and Thaddeus.

The actress, 76, shared a lengthy statement on Twitter Wednesday to address "vicious rumors" she said have been circulating recently about their deaths.

"As a mother of fourteen children, my family means everything to me," Farrow began. "While I chose a career that placed me in the public arena, most of my children have elected to live very private lives."

For more on Mia Farrow's statement, listen below to the episode of PEOPLE Every Day.

Farrow explained that she is "selective" in what she posts to social media to respect their wishes to remain private — but in light of "vicious rumors based in untruths" that she said have "appeared online" concerning her three late adoptive children, she decided to speak out.

"My beloved daughter Tam passed away at 17 from an accidental prescription overdose related to the agonizing migraines she suffered, and her heart ailment," Farrow said.

Lark, who died in 2008, was described by Farrow as an "extraordinary woman, a wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother to her own children."

"She died at 35 from complications of HIV/AIDS, which she contracted from a previous partner," she said. "Despite her illness she lived a fruitful and loving life with her children and longtime partner. She succumbed to her illness & died suddenly in the hospital on Christmas, in her partner's arms."

MIA FARROW
Mia Farrow w. her children (back row L-R) Matthew, Sascha, Soon-Yi; (front row L-R) Daisy, Fletcher, Moses and Lark; on their way to New Year's Eve Mass. David Mcgough/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Farrow then shared that her "courageous" son Thaddeus took his own life at 29 after a relationship of his abruptly ended.

Online speculation about the deaths of Tam, Lark, and Thaddeus arose after they were not mentioned in the recent HBO documentary Allen v. Farrow. Some critics resurfaced Farrow's estranged son Moses' 2018 blog post that criticized her and other family members.

Image
Actress Mia Farrow and children, incl. daughter Soon Yi Pre. David Mcgough/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty

"These are unspeakable tragedies," Farrow wrote in her Wednesday statement. "Any other speculation about their deaths is to dishonor their lives and the lives of their children and loved ones."

The Rosemary's Baby actress concluded her post by saying she is "grateful" to be the mother of 14 kids and grandmother of 16.

"Although we have known sorrow, our lives today are full of love and joy," she wrote. "Everyone has their own battle to fight; their own sorrows that gnaw. I send you my best hopes and my love."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.