Jennifer Grey felt “invisible” after her facial transformation, as her nose job left her feeling ‘anonymous.’
Jennifer Grey, who famously portrayed “Baby” in the iconic film Dirty Dancing, was once expected to see a significant rise in her career. However, a catastrophic event changed everything, forcing her to step away from the film industry permanently.
Now, at sixty-two, Jennifer Grey has finally opened up about the traumatic experience that left her deeply scarred. Despite Dirty Dancing being a low-budget film with no major stars or renowned directors, the producers and cast knew they had created something special when it premiered in August 1987.
Patrick Swayze, who played the male lead, quickly became a teenage idol and sex symbol, going on to star in notable films like Ghost and Donnie Darko. In contrast, Jennifer Grey, his co-star, was struggling when the film debuted and soon disappeared from the spotlight.
Grey remained out of the public eye for an extended period. However, in a recent interview with People magazine, she detailed the accident that changed her life. Before diving into that, let’s take a look at Jennifer Grey’s life before the tragic incident in the summer of 1987.
Born in New York in 1960, Jennifer Grey began her dance training at a young age. Her father, Joel Grey, was a director, photographer, dancer, singer, and actor, likely inspiring her to pursue a career in entertainment. She landed a few TV commercials, including one for Dr. Pepper, and made her film debut in the 1984 movie Reckless. Her breakthrough came with Dirty Dancing, where she played Frances “Baby” Houseman, a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Tragically, just before the film’s release in August 1987, Grey and her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick, were involved in a severe car accident in Ireland. Broderick, driving on the wrong side of the road, collided with another vehicle, killing a mother and daughter instantly. While charges against Broderick for reckless driving were dropped, Grey suffered minor physical injuries but was deeply affected psychologically.
Only a few days later, Dirty Dancing premiered. Despite the film’s success, Grey couldn’t enjoy it. She struggled with intense grief and survivor’s guilt, saying, “It didn’t feel good to be the toast of the town,” according to the Daily Mirror. The emotional trauma from the accident left a lasting impact on her.
In the early 1990s, Grey battled survivor’s guilt and disappeared from the public eye for several years, making a brief return in a 1995 episode of Friends. By then, she had undergone plastic surgery, significantly altering her appearance. Reflecting on the experience, Grey stated in 2012, “I entered the operating room as a celebrity and left anonymous.” She described the surgery as the “worst nose job ever,” feeling as though it made her invisible.
Despite her intermittent Hollywood career, Grey made a successful return to mainstream media in 2010, winning Dancing with the Stars. She expressed that this was significant for her, comparing it to “having a delicious steak after 23 years on a diet.”
In 2018, Grey took another step toward reclaiming the spotlight she had left behind, appearing in the comedy Red Oaks and the film Untogether.
