Melanie Griffith Tenderly Hugs 'Elegant' Mom Tippi Hedren, 92, 'Thankful' She is 'Still Here'
Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith, 1966 | Melanie Griffith and Tippi Hedren, 2022 | Source: Getty Images | Instagram.com/melaniegriffith
Melanie Griffith is glad that her mother "is still here" at 92 years.
A few years ago, Melanie was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Melanie Griffith was one celebrity who spent time with her family over the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday. One of the most memorable attendees was the star's mother, Tippi Hedren.
Griffith even shared a social media image of her and her parent relaxing together over the holiday weekend. The duo reclined on an animal-print bed in the photo as the younger actress hugged her mother.
Melanie Griffith and Tippi Hedren at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards benefiting Children's Hospital Los Angeles on February 21, 2016, in California | Source: Getty Images
Griffith shared what she was grateful for, writing, "Thankful that my Mom is still here with us." It was clear the pair were close as they smiled at the camera, with the post of the star and her then 92-year-old mother gaining some reactions from fans and other celebrities.
Many people noted how beautiful Hedren was, and even Griffith's ex-husband, Antonio Banderas, left a touching comment. The actor shared his love for both women, while others added many heart emoticons.
Olivia Harrison agreed with Griffith saying, "What a blessing." A fan thought the younger actress was beautiful and believed she was lucky to still have her mother before wishing others a happy holiday. Sadly, the actress's well-being hasn't always been excellent, and she's suffered some setbacks.
What's Going On with Melanie's Health?
In October 2017, Griffith, then 60, revealed for the first time that she had been diagnosed with epilepsy six years before. She announced the news at a Women's Brain Health Initiative panel.
The diagnosis came after the actress experienced two seizures. The incident happened in 2011 during the Cannes Film Festival while she was on a yacht outside Cannes, France.
The star confessed to having a "major grand mal seizure." It was so severe that she had to be taken to a Cannes hospital before returning to the boat she was on when the incident occurred.
Griffith said she had another seizure and had to go back to the hospital, where they did an EEG and began looking into her condition seriously. The star then returned to the United States, when she was diagnosed with epilepsy.
[Melanie] Griffith might be close to and has the support of her mother [Tippi Hedren] through all her trials, but her childhood was different.
The actress noted how in over 20 years, no one had paid enough attention to her to give her the diagnosis. By 2019, the celebrity had been seizure-free for four years and revealed that the illness was caused by stress.
Griffith said every seizure occurred when she was "extremely stressed." The star revealed that she started having fewer incidents after she divorced Banderas, with whom she was married for almost 20 years.
Despite her health issues, the Golden Globe nominee was grateful for receiving the best health care. In 2019, the actress went to San Diego, California's Health Nucleus facility for genome testing to see if she still had the illness.
Luckily for her, the results were negative. Griffith said doctors took tests on her brain and couldn't find the illness or anything wrong with her because it was mainly caused by stress. She was lucky to have been able to visit a new high-tech facility where she received as much information as possible.
"It Was a Crazy Time:" Melanie on Her Childhood with Her Mother
It was Hedren's 92nd birthday in January 2022, and Griffith, then 64, honored her with a social media post to mark the day. The younger actress shared a carousel of Instagram images that showed her mother over the years.
Two black-and-white photos showed Hedren being silly when she was younger. There was also one picture of the older actress standing with baby Griffith outside an airplane. Griffith captioned:
"Happy Birthday, Mom!! You are so beautiful, tenacious, gracious, elegant, and YOU ARE 92!!"
Griffith might be close to and has the support of her mother through all her trials, but her childhood was different. In 2020, the Academy Award-nominated star reminisced about her childhood in California, where she grew up with wild animals like tigers and lions!
Sharing several photos on Instagram, the actress showed her and Hedren enjoying their home in the 1970s with some of the animals. Griffith revealed how she'd grown up with two elephants, lions, and tigers!
Hedren once confessed regretting having a full-grown lion around her family, realizing she shouldn't have taken that kind of risk; however, it wasn't all bad because her daughter described it in a post, saying:
"It was a crazy, beautiful, and dangerous time."
The "Working Girl" actress noted how grateful she was for the strength the animals gave her and how she learned a lot about interacting with them. One lesson she got was that it was unwise to show fear around big cats, even when they were cubs.
Although Hedren was regretful, she still has big cats, but they're at her Acton, California Shambala Preserve animal sanctuary. Griffith confirmed this saying they didn't socialize with the animals like they used to.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmtwcWpjbXquscuapaKdXZy%2FqrLFoquhZaSau6Wx0aWwZqClnMBuscuenpqmpGK6b7TTpqM%3D