Audrey Hepburn's son denied long-held claims that the iconic Sabrina actress may have battled an eating disorder, telling HELLO! in April 2026 that "she could eat you under the table," and insisting "she didn’t have any eating disorders whatsoever."
Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the eldest of Audrey's two sons, released an intimate biography of the late actress in April, 33 years after she died in 1993 at the age of 63, and alongside stories of his childhood and his mother's A-list life he spoke of the ways she maintained her slim figure, revealing that she was "cooked and baked and ate what she liked" but was "careful with portions" and kept to the same habits day in and day out.
© Getty Images"She started most days with a boiled egg, toast and jam," Sean wrote in Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography, sharing that for lunch Audrey would have either a soup or a salad, as well a "scoop of her favorite vanilla ice cream with maple syrup."
© Getty Images"Supper would be a single plate of pasta pomodoro and a salad," he added, sharing that the Breakfast at Tiffany's actress' sweet tooth also included a love for chocolate cake, and that she developed her own flourless recipe to keep carbs low.
Audrey would also enjoy "a square of dark chocolate – her 'cure for the blues,'" each day after an afternoon nap, "followed by a 'finger' of whisky when the sun set" and occasionally a cold beer.
© Bettmann ArchiveHowever it was the "punishing pace" of the morning walk that Sean recalled most vividly, writing that it would come every day after breakfast and leaving "those of us trailing behind."
Audrey did indulge in a monthly two-day detox, but "eschewed all thoughts of fad diets," insisted Sean, adding: "Any suggestion of plastic surgery was anathema to her, as she honored the history of every line on her face."
Earlier in 2026 Sean told HELLO! that his mother "could eat you under the table."
"She was very good about creating a good diet for us. She always went at it with colours. She didn’t believe in mashed potatoes and turkey and gravy. She always had greens and reds and oranges," he said.
© Getty ImagesSean was born on July 17, 1960, when Audrey was married to Mel Ferrer. They divorced in 1968, and a year later she wed her second husband, Andrea Dotti, and welcomed second son, Luca, on February 8, 1970.
Andrea and Audrey divorced in 1982.
The My Fair Lady actress and singer was also vehemently against the newer technologies of her time, including photoshop on her images, with Sean revealing that photographer John Isaac once offered to remove wrinkles from pictures of a UNICEF trip to which she replied: "Don’t you dare touch any one of those wrinkles; I earned every single one of them."
© Getty ImagesShe continues to live on in the public imagination decades after her passing, in large part because of her timeless fashion on and off screen which included chic tailoring and neutral colors.
A film about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, based on Sam Wasson’s non-fiction book, Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, is also currently in pre-production with Lily Collins as Audrey.
It has the blessing of Sean, and he has helped Lily by drawing up a timeline of what his mother was doing and thinking as Breakfast at Tiffany’s developed, although he continues to have doubts over whether the 1961 film is the right one to tell his mother’s life story.
© Getty Images"It’s the film that began the process of making [Audrey] transgenerational, transnational and transcultural, even though it’s an imperfect film," he told HELLO!
"In a way, it’s really a lot of air, beautifully whipped up like a meringue. A less attractive way to look at it is that it’s a bit like a McDonald’s milkshake. After an hour you’ll be left with about one inch of milk at the bottom. It’s wonderful cuisine, but the contents are very delicate. It’s why I am concerned for Lily about how you make something interesting that’s really a snapshot of an era."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
