Ronan Farrow

Ronan Farrow
Born	Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow 19 12, 1987
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Journalist, author, lawyer
Known for	Investigative reporting on Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations
Education	Bard College (B.A.), Yale Law School (J.D.), University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar)
Awards	Pulitzer Prize for Public Service (2018)

Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist, author, and former government advisor whose investigative reporting has reshaped public discourse around sexual abuse and institutional accountability. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he emerged as one of the most consequential journalists of his generation through his reporting on sexual abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, published in The New Yorker. That work earned the magazine the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, shared with The New York Times. Before his journalism career, Farrow had already compiled an unusual résumé that included work with UNICEF, the U.S. State Department, and various human rights organizations. A child prodigy who entered college at age eleven, he went on to earn a law degree from Yale and study at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. His career has spanned advocacy, diplomacy, television, and long-form investigative journalism, and he continues to pursue reporting and documentary filmmaking projects.

Early Life

Ronan Farrow was born Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow on December 19, 1987, in New York City. He is the biological son of actress and humanitarian Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen. He grew up in a large and blended family; Mia Farrow had adopted and given birth to numerous children over the course of her relationships. The household was prominent in both the entertainment and philanthropic worlds, and Farrow was exposed from an early age to issues of global justice and humanitarian advocacy through his mother's activism.

Farrow's family life became the subject of intense public scrutiny in the early 1990s, when Mia Farrow's relationship with Woody Allen disintegrated amid allegations of sexual abuse against Farrow's sister Dylan Farrow and the revelation of Allen's relationship with Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. These events profoundly shaped the public narrative surrounding the family and would later intersect with Farrow's own career in journalism and advocacy. Farrow has publicly supported his sister Dylan's allegations against Allen over the years.

Farrow demonstrated exceptional intellectual ability from a young age. He was identified as a child prodigy and entered Bard College at the Simon's Rock campus at age eleven, an extraordinarily young age for a college student. His precocity attracted media attention, and he was profiled in various publications during his youth as a young person of remarkable promise.

Education

Farrow enrolled at Bard College, where he completed his undergraduate degree. Bard College has identified him as a member of the class of 2004. Following his undergraduate studies, Farrow attended Yale Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. His legal education provided the foundation for his later work in government and diplomacy, as well as the analytical rigor that would characterize his investigative journalism.

Farrow was subsequently selected as a Rhodes Scholar, one of the most prestigious academic honors available to students worldwide, and attended the University of Oxford. His selection as a Rhodes Scholar placed him among a cohort of individuals recognized for academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to public service. The breadth of his educational background—spanning liberal arts, law, and graduate study at Oxford—reflected his wide-ranging intellectual interests and prepared him for a career that would move fluidly between government service, advocacy, and journalism.

Career

Humanitarian Work and UNICEF

Before entering government service or journalism, Farrow became involved in international humanitarian work at a young age, partly influenced by his mother Mia Farrow's longstanding activism on behalf of children in conflict zones. He worked with UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, in various capacities focused on youth advocacy and child welfare.

UNICEF featured Farrow's contributions in its communications regarding youth engagement and global health. He was involved in UNICEF's efforts related to HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, particularly as they affected children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. He also participated in UNICEF advocacy related to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where his mother had been a prominent voice calling attention to the conflict in Darfur.

Both Ronan and Mia Farrow were honored by Refugees International for their humanitarian advocacy work. Farrow also worked with the Genocide Intervention Network, an organization focused on anti-genocide advocacy and policy.

U.S. State Department

Farrow served as a government advisor in the U.S. State Department, where he worked on issues related to global youth empowerment and diplomacy. His work at the State Department involved initiatives aimed at engaging young people as agents of change in their communities and nations.

During his time in government, Farrow was involved in diplomatic efforts in South and Central Asia. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal highlighted his work in the region in connection with diplomatic initiatives. His government career was notable for his youth; he was among the youngest advisors to serve in such a capacity at the State Department, a fact that drew significant media attention.

A profile in the San Francisco Chronicle described Farrow's trajectory in diplomacy, noting his work at a remarkably young age within the foreign policy establishment. Harper's Bazaar included him among its "names to know," citing his work in international affairs and advocacy.

Television Journalism

In 2013, MSNBC announced that Farrow would join the network as a host. In interviews surrounding the announcement, Farrow discussed his plans to bring a focus on international affairs and accountability journalism to the cable news format. His show, Ronan Farrow Daily, premiered on MSNBC in 2014. The program covered a range of domestic and international policy issues.

The transition from government service to television was scrutinized by media observers, some of whom questioned whether Farrow's youth and celebrity background were primary factors in his being given a cable news platform. Shortly after beginning his television career, Farrow received the Walter Cronkite Award, which drew comment in the press given the brevity of his on-air tenure at that point. Ronan Farrow Daily was eventually cancelled, and Farrow moved away from daily television hosting to focus on long-form investigative journalism.

Investigative Journalism and The New Yorker

Farrow's most significant journalistic work came through his investigative reporting for The New Yorker. In October 2017, he published a landmark investigation into sexual abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. The reporting, which included on-the-record accounts from multiple women who accused Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment, was published alongside a separate investigation by The New York Times. Together, the two publications' reporting catalyzed a national and global reckoning with sexual misconduct in numerous industries, contributing to the cultural phenomenon known as the #MeToo movement.

The New Yorker was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for Farrow's reporting, sharing the prize with The New York Times for its parallel investigation. The Pulitzer Board cited the explosive, impactful journalism that exposed powerful and wealthy sexual predators. Farrow's reporting process itself became a subject of public interest; he later described obstacles he encountered in pursuing the Weinstein story, including resistance from within his previous employer, NBC News, which had declined to air his reporting before he brought it to The New Yorker.

Beyond the Weinstein investigation, Farrow continued to report on allegations of sexual misconduct against other prominent figures. His reporting touched on cases involving Les Moonves, the former chairman of CBS, and allegations surrounding Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation process.

Books

Farrow is the author of multiple books. In 2013, it was reported that he was writing a book about U.S. military aid and foreign policy. He subsequently published War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence (2018), which examined the erosion of American diplomatic capacity, drawing on his experience in the State Department. His second book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators (2019), detailed his experience reporting the Weinstein story and the efforts he encountered to suppress his investigation. Catch and Kill became a bestseller and was adapted into a podcast of the same name.

Documentary Filmmaking and Recent Work

In October 2025, HBO Documentary Films announced that it was in production on a new documentary involving Farrow. The project, produced through Farrow's Ronan Production Group in partnership with HBO Documentary Films and World of Wonder, follows a criminal case in Johnson City, Tennessee. The documentary tracks a case involving Sean Williams, described in reports as a serial rapist in the Johnson City area. This project represents Farrow's continued focus on accountability and criminal justice reporting, extending his investigative work into the documentary format.

Farrow has also continued his role as a contributing writer for The New Yorker and appears regularly as a media commentator. In June 2025, Bard College highlighted an interview in which Farrow discussed the activities of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its access to Social Security data, speaking with MSNBC host Jen Psaki. In February 2026, Farrow raised concerns about the arrest procedure used in the case of journalist Don Lemon, questioning what he described as unusual aspects of the process by which the Trump administration obtained its arrest warrant.

Fellowship and Mentorship

In October 2025, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY) announced the Ronan Farrow Investigative Fellowship, a program offering a Newmark graduate the opportunity to work directly with Farrow on investigative projects. The fellowship reflects Farrow's role in mentoring and developing the next generation of investigative journalists.

Personal Life

Ronan Farrow's personal life has been shaped in significant part by his family's public prominence and the controversies surrounding it. He is the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, though his relationship with Allen has been estranged for decades following the family's public dissolution in the early 1990s. Farrow has been a vocal supporter of his sister Dylan Farrow, who has alleged that Allen sexually abused her as a child—allegations Allen has denied.

In an interview with Esquire, Farrow reflected on his upbringing and the experiences that shaped his worldview, discussing the intersection of his personal life and his commitment to public service and accountability.

Farrow has been in a relationship with podcast host and former Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett. The two have been public about their relationship and became engaged. Their relationship has been covered in various media profiles.

Farrow was selected for Dominican University of California's commencement address, reflecting his standing as a public figure in both journalism and advocacy.

Recognition

Farrow's investigative reporting has earned him some of the highest honors in journalism. The 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, awarded to The New Yorker for his reporting on Harvey Weinstein, is among the most prestigious awards in American journalism and recognizes reporting that serves the public interest. The award was shared with The New York Times for its concurrent investigation into Weinstein.

He received the Walter Cronkite Award early in his television career, though the timing of the award—shortly after beginning his MSNBC show—was noted in media commentary.

Beyond individual awards, Farrow has been recognized through institutional honors such as the Ronan Farrow Investigative Fellowship at the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, which bears his name and supports emerging investigative reporters. Refugees International honored both Farrow and his mother Mia Farrow for their humanitarian work.

New York Magazine profiled Farrow as part of its coverage of emerging figures in public life, and Harper's Bazaar named him among its "names to know." His Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford further underscored the academic and institutional recognition he received throughout his career.

Legacy

Farrow's investigative reporting on Harvey Weinstein is considered a defining piece of accountability journalism of the 21st century. The Weinstein reporting, along with the parallel investigation by The New York Times, helped catalyze the #MeToo movement, a global cultural shift in how allegations of sexual misconduct are received and addressed in the workplace, entertainment, politics, and other spheres of public life. The reporting led directly to criminal investigations and prosecutions of Weinstein, who was subsequently convicted of sexual assault.

Farrow's account of the obstacles he encountered while pursuing the Weinstein story—detailed in his book Catch and Kill—raised broader questions about the relationships between powerful media institutions and the subjects they cover, as well as the use of private intelligence firms and legal threats to suppress journalistic investigations. His reporting prompted scrutiny of NBC News's editorial decision-making and renewed debates about the independence of newsrooms from corporate and legal pressures.

Through his continued reporting at The New Yorker, his documentary work for HBO, and the establishment of the investigative fellowship at CUNY, Farrow has maintained a sustained presence in American investigative journalism. His career trajectory—from child prodigy and humanitarian advocate to government advisor and investigative reporter—reflects an unusual path in American public life, one marked by the intersection of privilege, personal adversity, and a commitment to the use of journalism as a tool of accountability.

The establishment of the Ronan Farrow Investigative Fellowship represents an institutional investment in the continuation of the style of in-depth, source-driven investigative reporting that characterized his most significant work.