Audrey Hepburn Sent Her Son to Boarding School Thinking Her Husband Was Nearly Kidnapped. Years Later, the Truth Came Out

In his latest book, ‘Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography’, Sean Hepburn Ferrer offers a shocking glimpse into the private life of his mother, the iconic actress Audrey Hepburn. Co-authored with Wendy Holden, the biography delves into profound and harrowing family experiences, one of which profoundly altered their lives.

A key incident that Ferrer recounts occurred in 1975, when he was just a child. It involved a terrifying near-kidnapping of his stepfather, Andrea Dotti, which left Hepburn shaken and deeply concerned for her family’s safety. Married to Dotti from 1969 until 1982, Hepburn had previously been wed to Mel Ferrer, Sean’s father, from 1954 to 1968.

The disturbing episode unfolded during a seemingly normal lunchtime. Suddenly, Dotti burst into the room, blood streaming from his head and visibly shaken. In a gripping description, Ferrer recalls, “He was very shaken and told us that four masked men had jumped on him as he was leaving practice, trying to drag him into a waiting Mercedes. When he fought back, they pistol-whipped him, but he managed to escape and crawled under a parked car, where nearby security guards came to his rescue.”

The news left Hepburn in a state of acute anxiety. With kidnappings on the rise internationally, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her. Ferrer notes in the book that Hepburn was “traumatized” by the incident, leading her to insist that Dotti receive medical attention at a hospital.

In the aftermath of the harrowing event, Hepburn sat down with her son to discuss their future. She laid out two choices: they could stay in Rome and live under constant protection by bodyguards, or Ferrer could attend a boarding school in Switzerland, promising him a more secure environment and a sense of freedom. Ultimately, Ferrer made the difficult decision to leave his mother behind. “She and I had always been inseparable,” he writes, reflecting on his heartbreak. He noted that he left for Switzerland just three days later without a chance to say goodbye to his friends or his life in Rome.

The decision to send him away weighed heavily on Hepburn. Despite the presence of other celebrity children at the boarding school, she felt guilt over Ferrer possibly feeling isolated. In a poignant gesture, she even offered to cover the costs for one of his friends to join him, yet the boy’s mother was reluctant to permit the separation.

In later interviews, Hepburn opened up about her fears during this troubling time. She lamented the decline of security in Rome, remarking, “It is a very anguishing period. They’re even kidnapping tourists for fifty dollars apiece, ransacking apartments and breaking into cars… the joy of Rome was to walk around the streets at night. Not anymore. The whole world has changed.”

Many years later, both Hepburn and Ferrer learned the truth behind the nearly catastrophic event. According to Ferrer, the assault on Dotti was not an attempted kidnapping, but rather a vengeful attack from an aggrieved husband who had discovered Dotti’s affair with his wife. This revelation deeply affected Ferrer, who reflected that the consequences of his stepfather’s infidelity led to a four-year separation from his mother: “That was something I found terribly difficult to forgive.”

‘Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography’ not only sheds light on the complexities of Hepburn’s life as a mother and a public figure but also reveals the personal sacrifices she made for the safety of her family during a tumultuous period. The book is now available in bookstores, inviting readers to explore the poignant and intricate world of one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses.