Tippi Hedren surfaces in first public sighting since dementia diagnosis as she celebrates 96th birthday with Melanie Griffith

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Tippi Hedren, famous for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic films The Birds and Marnie, was recently seen in public, marking a rare appearance.

The beloved actress turned 96 on Monday and celebrated with close family and friends at her daughter Melanie Griffith’s house.

This was the first time anyone had seen Hedren in public since news broke that she’s been diagnosed with dementia and has trouble remembering her work.

Dakota Johnson’s grandmother seemed to be doing well physically, as she was able to walk on her own, without needing a wheelchair, walker, or cane.

While looking at the stars, she held hands with a man who seemed to be her grandson, Alexander Bauer, age 40. He is the son of her second husband, Steven Bauer, and she was married to him between her two divorces from Don Johnson.

Tippi Hedren looked stylish in a floral blazer paired with a flowing purple blouse and black pants.

Her hair was still a vibrant gold, reminding people of her days as a famous ‘Hitchcock blonde’ – one of the iconic actresses he often featured in his films.

She left her birthday dinner as night fell, wearing a simple black and white sweater to stay warm.

Griffith highlighted her slim figure with a sleek black top and tight-fitting leather pants.

The actress, known for her role in Working Girl, was spotted wearing the same outfit earlier that day while walking her dog.

She had short, stylishly disheveled blonde hair and a bright complexion enhanced by makeup, including bold red lipstick.

Just under a year after Tippi Hedren’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis was made public, her daughter, Melanie Griffith, shared a post on Instagram celebrating Hedren’s 95th birthday. This was the last time fans saw Hedren before this week.

Tippi Hedren celebrated her 95th birthday yesterday! She shared a video of her mother, who she described as happy, healthy, and full of spirit, blowing out the candles on a pale green cake.

In February 2024, Tippi Hedren’s team revealed she has been diagnosed with dementia. This information was shared after a question from Spanish journalist Gustavo Egusquiza.

When Egusquiza asked to interview Hedren, she was told that Hedren’s health prevented her from doing interviews.

Her team explained that she has dementia and no longer remembers her work. At 94 years old, they said, her memory has naturally declined with age.

Egusquiza shared the response he received and noted, ‘Fans of Tippi Hedren around the world will be very upset by this news.’

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dakota Johnson shared that her grandmother, Tippi Hedren, still maintains a glamorous appearance, spending around three hours each day on her routine, even when she has no plans to go out.

During the interview, Johnson made a shocking claim that Hitchcock ‘terrorized’ her grandmother and damaged her professional life after she refused his advances.

Johnson explained that his partner has been incredibly supportive, both for him and his mother, constantly reminding them not to tolerate disrespectful behavior from anyone.

Tippi Hedren has openly discussed her difficult experiences working with Alfred Hitchcock, including details shared in her 2016 autobiography.

She said the director, who she worked with in the 1960s, was fixated on her while they worked together.

He told Rod Taylor, her co-star in The Birds, to stay away from her, and he became cold and distant whenever he saw her talking to other men while they were filming.

She wrote that Hitchcock unexpectedly attacked her with a kiss in the back of a limousine, describing it as a terrifying experience.

While filming ‘The Birds,’ he made a move on me, and I instinctively turned and walked away instead of reacting with anger.

I still can’t believe he did that! After she turned him down, he just… he punished her. He switched out the fake birds they were going to use for real ones and had them flying at her during the scene. It was awful, and honestly, a completely unnecessary and cruel thing to do just because she rejected him. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it!

When the fake birds used for a famous scene weren’t working properly, Hitchcock unexpectedly had real animals attack Tippi Hedren repeatedly over several days, creating what she called a terrifying and unyielding experience.

During the filming of Marnie, he unexpectedly attacked me, making unwanted sexual advances. It was a disturbing and aggressive act that left me deeply shocked and disgusted. The more I resisted, the more violent he became.

She explained that he then began to threaten her, as if what he was already doing wasn’t bad enough.

He threatened to destroy her career and followed through by holding her to her contract but refusing to give her any new roles.

Despite everything, Tippi Hedren always considered Hitchcock a truly brilliant director, and she was deeply saddened when he passed away at age 80 in 1980.

In late 2017, as the Me Too movement gained momentum, Tippi Hedren shared on Twitter that she had experienced sexual harassment throughout her career in modeling and film. She stated that Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t the only person who had harassed her, but she ultimately decided she’d had enough and chose to leave the industry, without regret.

She remembered Hitch threatening to destroy her career, and she responded by telling him to do whatever he felt necessary. She believes it’s taken a long time – around 50 years – but is glad to see women finally standing up for themselves, much like they are in the case involving Harvey Weinstein. She expressed her support for this change.

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2026-01-20 21:24