'The Birds' Star Tippi Hedren Claims Alfred Hitchcock Sexually Assaulted Her in the '60s

Tippi Hedren accused Alfred Hitchcock of being "obsessed" with her in new memoir.

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Complex Original

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In Tippi Hedren's forthcoming memoir, Tippi, the actress claims she was sexually assaulted and harassed by director Alfred Hitchcock in the late '60s. 

In her tell-all book, the Hollywood actress alleges Hitchcock grew "obsessed" with her shortly after she signed a five-year movie contract with him. As the two went on to work with each other on the set of The Birds in 1963, Tippi revealed his obsession interfered with their working environment.

The filmmaker allegedly threatened male cast members not to touch or talk to her, according to her book, obtained by the New York Post. And Hitchcock did spot her interacting with another man, he allegedly became "icy" and often gave her an "expressionless, unwavering stare ... even if he was talking to a group of people on the other side of the sound stage." The former model also claims Hitchcock turned physical, alleging that he often asked her to "touch him" and tried to kiss her in the back of his limousine.  

"It was an awful, awful moment," she pens in the book. "It was sexual, it was perverse. The harder I fought him, the more aggressive he became." Tippi says the assault continued when she worked on her second and final film, Marnie in 1964, claiming the director installed a secret door that connected his office to her personal dressing room. 

Tippi's allegations come more than 50 years after the alleged assaults. Hitchcock died in 1980. The actress adds that she had not told her story because sexual assault was not a term that was used back in the '60s. Tippi is set to hit bookstores on Nov. 1. 

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