
Actress Jennifer Grey is ready to spill her tea.
The actress, of course, became one of the most recognizable stars in the world during the 1980s thanks to her performances in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Red Dawn, and in particular, Dirty Dancing. She also had a profound influence on the culture of the time; she recently revealed that her break-up with Matthew Broderick inspired Madonna‘s song “Express Yourself.”
The 62-year-old star will tell all in her forthcoming memoir Out of the Corner due on bookshelves on May 3. Just ahead of the release of the book, Grey opened up about one of the most traumatic moments of her life: having her father outed as gay to her.
Grey’s dad, incidentally, is Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey, known for his performance in Cabaret as well as on stage in Wicked. Joel married Jennifer’s mother Jo in 1958; the couple divorced in 1982. He officially came out to the world in 2015, and revealed that his family had long known about his attraction to men.
Of course, Jennifer didn’t always know about her dad. Speaking to People, the actress previewed a passage from her memoir in which she recalled the mother of then-boyfriend Broderick outing Joel to her.
Related: PHOTOS: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey At 40th Anniversary Screening Of ‘Cabaret’
One day in the late 1980s, Jennifer was at Matthew’s home with the actor’s mother. Broderick himself wasn’t around at the time. Out of nowhere, his mother turned to Jennifer and said “You know your dad’s a f*g.”
“Perhaps she was offended by my lack of knowing,” Grey says of the shocking moment. “I don’t know what she was thinking. She was, um, she was a tricky personality. I don’t know how else to put it.”
“Like, she was a truth-teller, truth bombs. A Cassandra. She was, like, come what may. She just said whatever she believed was the truth — and perhaps she was doing me a solid. Maybe she thought: Is anybody gonna say what’s happening in the world?”
For Jennifer, the moment felt like an attack on her and her dad.
“At the time, it was, like, warfare,” she further explains. “It was an act of aggression. Perhaps she was offended by the lack of transparency. I don’t know what anybody else is thinking. All I know, all I knew at the time was that it felt like it was a sniper attack. The idea was that I was a fool and that everyone knew but me.”
The incident with Broderick’s mother left Grey questioning more than just how well she knew her dad. That discomfort, however, prompted her to include the moment in her book.
“The reason I put that in the book, was because it was one of those days that changed me,” she says. “In the sense that how could I not know everything there was to know about my dad? I was the closest to him of anyone in the world. And he would never not tell me the truth. And that was the only thing that was hard about it was because I was confused because it was one of those moments where my reality was shaken up.”
Between the story about having her dad outed and Madonna penning one of our favorite songs about her, we can’t wait to read the rest of Grey’s memoir, Out of the Corner. We have a feeling she’ll also share anecdotes about former boyfriends Michael J. Fox and Johnny Depp, as well as a horrible accident involving her and Broderick that left two people dead. The woman has had a life.
MickeyMoose
Instead of Jennifer just saying, “what a cruel and nasty thing Broderick’s mother did,” she goes round and round offering a number of possible justifications instead. There are no justifications, Baby. Broderick, who many believe is gay himself, has a shitty mother.
dantheman69
Agree with you Broderick’s Mom was a real bitch ,bigot No excuse for this terrible behavior
white-queer-african
Oh well. Let’s get the book sold before it ends up in the bargain bin. As for Matthew Broderick, I fell in love with him when he starred in Torch Song Trillogy.
johncp56
What!! she if true called him used the Fa!@#$%^&*got word, wow
Mister P
Joel Grey is a treasure. His performance in Cabaret is one of the best performances on film.
SFHarry
It felt like an attack because it was said like an attack.
[email protected]
Exactly
Fahd
I would like to read her book; there’s so much more to her than just “she looked so different after her rhinoplasty”. Also, always have been a fan of Joel Grey.
UncleFloppy
The photo of Jennifer and her father Joel must be 10 years old because Cabaret was released in 1972 which makes it 50 years old this year.
james7
Recently saw CABARET on Turner Classics movie channel and had not seen it since it came out. Grey and Minnelli were both fabulous, and it is now on my list of all time favorite films.
BGreen1963
The Brown Shirts song “Fatherland” is one of the creepiest moments in film history. I have flashbacks everytime someone from the Republinazi Party steps in front of a microphone.
cuteguy
Matthew should be ashamed of his mother being so homophobic. Especially since he’s so prevalent in theatre. What a disgusting mother he had
Essie
Did Matthew know about the incident? Did Jennifer tell him? If not then he has nothing to do with it. Also, I don’t really think Jennifer Grey is famous enough for anyone to want to read about her life. I mean, besides her famous father, she’s most famous for getting that terrible nose job that nipped her promising career in the bud. And then she’s dated famous actors. What has SHE actually done that justifies a memoir? I personally think she’s boring AF.
cuteguy
@Essie
You are obviously a GQP troll loser. Do you really think this was an isolated incident of homophobia? Of course not. Matthew Broderick knew his mother was an entitled white c*nt who had absolutely no right to out anyone, especially to a man’s own offspring. Matthew condoned this behavior and if he pleads ignorance, he should apologize on behalf of his disgusting mother. And as far as your claim that Jennifer “isn’t a big enough star”, the book publishers would tend to disagree. Just like they publish books from your so-called Faux News losers you obviously admire, there is an obvious market for the star of Dirty Dancing. Go spread your hate on a Faux News site. You are as unwelcome here as Russia is in Ukraine.
Ken A.
Why? He’s not his mother’s keeper or responsible for what his mother said. Maybe the FU was when he played in TORCH SONG in two different productions, on stage he was the kid in the movie he was the husband. Are you responsible for the embarrassing things your mother says? My mother certainly has, they’re not mine and won’t make them mine.
The real Bruce
Mathews mom sound like a real piece of work! As for Joel Grey, I have loved him in any work he’s done. I saw him years ago on stage in George M. Excellent!! His father Mickey Katz was a very talented and funny man as well.
bsg1967
I turned off both of them when Broderick got away with killing two woman in Ireland. Fined $175
Paulie P
This story aside….. her breakup prompted Madonna to sing and record Express Yourself…. Jennifer you sure ’bout that?!
Ken A.
Let us not speak ill of the dead. She’s been dead for 18 years.
Inspector 57
I, for one, don’t believe in the “dead” exemption.
MinnesotaNotNice
Well, good, I just saved $29.95 or whatever the price by not having to buy this book now.
monty clift
Matthew Broderick’s mother is a C.U.N.T
Duly noted.