Audrey Hepburn, an enduring icon of Hollywood glamour, harbored a profound personal desire that contrasted sharply with her public image: a large, loving family. This deeply held wish was repeatedly thwarted by heartbreaking miscarriages and marital strife, details of which have been brought to light by her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, in his biography, Intimate Audrey. The book offers a poignant look at the struggles behind the star’s radiant facade, including allegations of her first husband’s subtle but persistent campaign that may have contributed to her reproductive losses.
A Mother’s Unfulfilled Dream
Hepburn’s journey toward motherhood was fraught with sorrow. Her first miscarriage occurred in March 1955, just six months into her marriage to actor and director Mel Ferrer. At 25, the loss was devastating. According to Ferrer Jr., his father’s response was to encourage her to immerse herself in work, perhaps to distract her from her grief.
Four years later, while filming The Unforgiven, Hepburn experienced a glimmer of hope with a second pregnancy. This time, she was carrying a girl, whom she had planned to name Maria. However, this pregnancy also ended tragically, with the loss of the baby six months into gestation. This loss was particularly profound, as Hepburn felt she had lost a person rather than just a fetus, a pain that lingered throughout her life. The experience intensified her fear that she might never be able to bear a child.
Against these odds, Hepburn became pregnant again shortly after, and this time, she carried the baby to term. Her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, was born on July 17, 1960. This birth marked the realization of her lifelong dream of motherhood, bringing immense happiness into her life.
Allegations of Sabotage and Marital Discord
While the public saw a picture-perfect couple, Sean Hepburn Ferrer reveals a more complex reality within the marriage. He alleges that Mel Ferrer, who already had four children from previous marriages, was not eager for more. His focus, along with Audrey’s, was on their burgeoning acting careers. According to the biography, taking time off for pregnancies and child-rearing was not part of their shared professional vision.
Ferrer Jr. recounts his mother’s belief that her first husband’s actions, though perhaps subconscious, actively worked against her ability to carry pregnancies to term. He describes a pattern where, upon discovering a pregnancy, Mel Ferrer would initiate activities that were counterproductive to a healthy pregnancy. These included frequent moves, extensive travel, or strenuous physical activities, such as asking her to help move boxes of books. Hepburn, aware of her history of miscarriages, understood that such actions, particularly lifting and excessive travel, could jeopardize a pregnancy, especially in the later stages, and that complete rest was often advised.
The marital tension escalated, and a significant turning point for Hepburn, according to her son, was witnessing her young son Sean tiptoeing past his father’s room, speaking in hushed tones to avoid provoking an outburst. This realization that her son feared his own father deeply impacted her, leading to her decision to leave the marriage.
Despite an unofficial separation, a brief reconciliation led to another pregnancy at the end of 1965. Tragically, this resulted in an ectopic pregnancy and another miscarriage. Sean Hepburn Ferrer notes that his father reportedly prioritized minor hemorrhoid surgery over comforting his grieving wife, leaving her feeling abandoned during a period of immense emotional distress. The dream of a large family seemed increasingly out of reach, and Hepburn confided in friends that she had endured what she described as ‘two years in hell,’ considering it the worst period of her life.
The couple officially divorced in 1967. Despite the pain and the circumstances, Hepburn maintained in later years that her husband’s actions, while thoughtless, were not intentionally malicious. She theorized that his previous marital difficulties, stemming from his earlier divorces, might have influenced his approach to their shared family life.
A Second Marriage and a Desperate Act
Hepburn found love again while on an Aegean cruise, meeting Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti. She famously cut her hair in defiance of her ex-husband’s wishes, signaling a new chapter. With Dotti, she had another son, Luca, born in February 1970. However, this marriage was marred by Dotti’s infidelity.
The emotional toll of his affairs became so severe that Hepburn reportedly attempted suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. Her maid discovered her with an empty bottle, and a 17-year-old Sean rushed her to the hospital, where her stomach was pumped. Upon her return, Hepburn assured her son that she had not intended to end her life but had simply been overwhelmed by pain and sought to numb herself, regretting that she had overdone the medication.
In a final, poignant attempt to achieve the family she had always dreamed of, Hepburn became pregnant again by Dotti at the age of 45. Sadly, this pregnancy also ended in an early miscarriage, adding another layer of sorrow to her life and chipping away at her heart.
The couple remained together for their sons’ sake, eventually divorcing in 1982. As her acting career waned, Hepburn dedicated her later years to humanitarian work as a UNICEF ambassador, a role she considered the most significant of her life until her passing in 1993.
