Dakota Johnson, daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and granddaughter of legendary Hollywood starlet Tippi Hedren, recently shocked the world of entertainment by accusing iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock of abusing her grandmother.
Alfred Hitchcock famously produced and directed the iconic horror-thriller film The Birds starring Tippi Hedren. Here’s a shot of the two on set in 1963.
Dakota Johnson’s Shocking Accusation About Alfred Hitchcock
In fact, Tippi Hedren starred in some of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous movies, including The Birds and Marnie.
While appearing on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast earlier this month, Peanut Butter Falcon actress Dakota Johnson revealed that her grandmother’s experience of working on these films was anything but pleasant.
“She’s always been really honest and firm about standing up for yourself. That’s what she did,” said Johnson, a 32 year-old actress herself who has starred in movies like Fifty Shades Of Grey. “[Alfred] Hitchcock ruined her career because she didn’t want to sleep with him, and he terrorized her.”
Johnson went on to claim that Hitchcock was “never held accountable,” describing what he did as a “completely unacceptable” abuse of power.
“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,” Johnson continued. “It’s hard to talk about because she’s my grandmother. You don’t want to imagine somebody taking advantage of your grandmother.”
Dakota Johnson then said that what she and her mom, Melanie Griffith, learned from Hedren is “you do not put up with that s— from anybody.”
“She would say it in a far more eloquent way. She’s such a glamorous movie star, still,” she added.
Tippi Hedren Tells Her Story
Hedren, 91, been open with her claims of Hitchcock’s abuse in the past. She wrote in her memoir that the director once tried to force her to kiss him in a limousine, describing it to Fox News as a “sad situation.”
“It was a wonderful, wonderful time,” Hedren recalled. “I’d never done a film before and I was — I guess he saw a commercial that I did — and … he found out who I was, where I was. He then quickly put me under contract. And then to discover that I was going to be in a major motion picture was incredible.”
“He and his wife Alma were my drama coaches,” she added. “It was absolutely fabulous. And then he pulls that … that card. I wasn’t a young woman who fell off the vegetable truck. I was saddened that he did this, you know, that he decided to pull that card. I said, ‘I’m not interested in this. I’m not going to fall for this.’”
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Alfred Hitchcock Ruins Tippi Hedren’s Career
Hedren has also alleged that Hitchcock’s pursuit of her never ceased, and that it eventually led to him ruining her career.
“He kept pursuing it and then I said, ‘I want to get out of the contract.’ He said, ‘Well, you can’t. You have your daughter to take care of, your parents are getting older,'” Hedren stated. “And I said, ‘You know, they would not want me to be doing something I am not interested in. I want to get out of the contract.’ He said, ‘I’ll ruin your career.’ And he did.”
“He kept me under contract and wouldn’t let me work,” she continued. “It was just one of those Hollywood nightmares … It was just so unnecessary. That’s what was so awful about this. It was just … just a sad situation. Just sad. But anyway — life goes on!”
Thankfully, Hedren feels that actresses today have many more options than she did.
“I think more of them are saying, ‘This is my life, this is how I want to live. You will either take me on my conditions or I’m not going to play the game,'” she concluded. “It’s become more of a business, and not just this incredible aura of, ‘Oh, she’s a movie star!’ It’s a business.”
Everyone knows that the closets in Hollywood are overflowing with skeletons. Everywhere you turn the name of another Hollywood legend is being besmirched with accusations of wicked behavior.
So why hasn’t Hollywood cleaned up its act by now? Seems fame and fortune don’t mix well with humility and morals.
I don’t know about you but I’ll take a simple life rooted in faith and family over the glitz and glamour of Hollywood any day.
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