Legendary Actress Tippi Hedren, 96, Celebrates Birthday in Rare Public Appearance
Hollywood icon Tippi Hedren recently celebrated her 96th birthday with a rare public appearance, joining her family for a celebratory gathering in Los Angeles. The legendary star of The Birds was photographed arriving at the home of her daughter, Melanie Griffith, where she was seen navigating the entrance with the support of her grandson, Alexander Bauer.
Hedren, who initially arrived wearing an elegant embroidered black jacket, appeared in high spirits throughout the evening and was later seen departing in a comfortable patterned sweater.
Tippi Hedren out to dinner with family for her 96th birthday, surrounded by love! And I want that sweater! pic.twitter.com/0ydYoUlgUy
— 𝔻𝕖𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕙 🥃🖊️ (@DADiClementi) January 21, 2026
The milestone celebration follows reports from 2024 suggesting that the actress is currently navigating a journey with dementia. According to the Daily Mail, the diagnosis became public knowledge after Spanish journalist Gustavo Egusquiza sought an interview with the screen legend. Representatives for Hedren reportedly informed Egusquiza that she was no longer able to participate in press engagements because she has dementia, and is unable to remember her career at all.
Despite these health challenges, her family has continued to share updates that highlight her resilient spirit. On a previous birthday, Melanie Griffith took to Instagram to reassure fans about her mother’s well-being, sharing a video of the actress blowing out candles. Griffith described her mother as a healthy and vibrant presence, adding in her caption that she’s happy, healthy and feisty!!
Hedren’s cinematic legacy remains a cornerstone of Hollywood history, particularly her transformative work with director Alfred Hitchcock. Originally a fashion model, she was discovered by the filmmaker in a television commercial before being cast as the lead in the 1963 horror classic The Birds. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year, which she followed with a haunting turn in the 1964 psychological drama Marnie.
However, the history of her career is also defined by her courageous stance against the very man who discovered her. In her 2016 memoir, Tippi, she detailed a harrowing pattern of harassment and assault, alleging that Hitchcock used his power to terrorize her after she rejected his s**** advances. Hedren recounted instances where the director would have his driver monitor her home and even threw himself on top of her in the back of a limousine.
This narrative of survival has been championed by her granddaughter, actress Dakota Johnson, who has been vocal about the systemic abuse her grandmother faced. During an appearance on the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson criticized the industry for allowing the director to escape accountability.
Hitchcock ruined her career because she didn’t want to sleep with him, and he terrorized her, Johnson stated, noting that her grandmother was never held accountable for her resistance but remained honest and firm about standing up for yourself.
Beyond her acting career, Hedren has spent decades as a fierce advocate for animal rights. She is the founder of the Roar Foundation and the Shambala Preserve, an 80-acre sanctuary in California dedicated to the care of exotic big cats.
While she has largely retired from the screen, her most recent credit being a role in 2018, her influence persists through the animal protection laws she lobbied for and the careers of her famous descendants. Today, the three generations of actresses, including Griffith and Johnson, stand as a formidable Hollywood dynasty that continues to honor the matriarch’s legacy of strength and independence.
What are your favorite memories of Tippi Hedren’s legendary film career or her inspiring work with animal conservation in the comments?
