Actress Tippi Hedren’s new memoir “Tippi” openly discusses her break with filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, who cast her in his films “The Birds” and “Marnie.” She explains his obsession with her and the sexual abuse she experienced while making the films. After a falling out with the director, her career faced a major setback and she was forced to rebuild. In a new interview with Variety, Hedren discusses the abuse and why she went public with the story in the first place.
“This is legion all over the world. There’s nothing unique about it,” says Hedren in regards to why she came forward with the abuse allegations. “Women complain all the time about somebody trying to make a pass at them or have a relationship in which they are not interested. I don’t put up with that kind of thing. I wanted to let women, especially young women, know never to allow that kind of approach and to be forceful in telling people you’re not interested in having that kind of a relationship. It’s not a bad thing to say no.”
To the people who dispute, doubt or question her memory of the events, Hedren’s response was simple: “They weren’t there. How about that? I was the one living that life. They weren’t. How can they possibly have anything to say about it?”
READ MORE: Review: Bizarre Cult Curio ‘Roar’ Starring Tippi Hedren & Melanie Griffith
As for Hedren’s capacity to enjoy Hitchcock’s films after her experience with him, Hedren says that she can “totally separate it from his behavior,” but that doesn’t mean she “was best friends with Alfred Hitchcock after ‘Marnie’ was over.” “You have a director who was brilliant,” she says. “The story is always the thing and he managed to find intriguing scripts. His direction, his producing, he was hands on at every phase of making those pictures.”
“Tippi” is on sale at Amazon and other booksellers everywhere.
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