Dakota Johnson Says That Alfred Hitchcock "Ruined" Her Grandmother Tippi Hedren's Career
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You know Dakota Johnson — and you probably know that her grandmother is legendary actor Tippi Hedren.
Two of Hedren's most iconic performances were in films directed by Alfred Hitchcock — Marnie and The Birds, specifically. In 2016, Hedren alleged that Hitchcock sexually assaulted her.
“I’ve never gone into detail on this, and I never will,” she wrote in her memoir, Tippi, from that year. “I’ll simply say that he suddenly grabbed me and put his hands on me. It was sexual, it was perverse, and it was ugly, and I couldn’t have been more shocked and repulsed."
During a recent appearance on the Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson claimed that the film director "ruined [Hedren's] career because she didn’t want to sleep with him, and he terrorized her. He was never held accountable.”
Johnson added, “It’s completely unacceptable for people in a position of power to wield that power over someone in a weaker position, no matter the industry. It’s hard to talk about because she’s my grandmother. You don’t want to imagine somebody taking advantage of your grandmother.”
She continued, “I think the thing that she’s been so amazing for me and with my mother is just like, no, you do not put up with that shit from anybody. She would say it in a far more eloquent way. She’s such a glamorous movie star, still.”
This isn't the first time one of Hedren's family members has spoken about Hitchcock's alleged assault.
In a conversation between Jamie Lee Curtis and Melanie Griffith for Interview magazine, Griffith — who is Hedren's daughter — said that Hitchcock "apparently was not very good with my mom."
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
