Dakota Johnson says Alfred Hitchcock once sent her grandmother’s doll in a coffin

Actress Dakota Johnson, 32, criticized film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) and recalled the artist’s “disturbing obsession” with his grandmother, actress Tippi Hedren, 92. For Johnson, this may have hurt. Hedren’s career.

“What happened to my grandmother was horrible because Hitchcock was a tyrant,” the “Fifty Shades of Gray” star said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “He was talented and prolific — and important in terms of art — but power can poison people.”

The director worked with Hedren in the film “The Birds” (1963) and “Marnie, Confessions of a Thief” (1964), and, after the actress avoided a romantic approach, he allegedly threatened to destroy her career. Johnson says that Hitchcock even sent his mother, Melanie Griffith, a doll of his grandmother in a coffin as a Christmas present.

“It’s alarming and dark and very, very sad for that little girl,” Johnson said. “She was an amazing actress and [Hitchcock] prevented her from having a career”, continued the actress. She also commented on the movie “The Girl” (HBO, 2012) which tells the story of Hitchcock and Hedren’s relationship, and said that it was difficult for the family to watch it.