Jennifer Grey, famous for her role as “Baby” in the classic movie Dirty Dancing, was thought to have a bright future ahead in her acting career.

However, things took a turn for the worse when a terrible tragedy occurred, leading her to step away from the film industry for good.

Now, at sixty-two years old, Jennifer Grey has opened up about the painful experience that has haunted her for years.

The film she was involved in was a low-budget project without any major stars or famous directors.

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The team behind Dirty Dancing knew they had created something special when the movie hit theaters in August 1987.

Patrick Swayze, who starred in the main role, became an instant sensation. He quickly became a teenage heartthrob and a major star, later featuring in famous films like Ghost and Donnie Darko.

On the other hand, Jennifer Grey, who acted alongside him, wasn’t feeling great when the movie was released, and she soon disappeared from the spotlight. Jennifer Grey faded away just as quickly as she had come into the limelight, getting lost in all the excitement and celebrations.

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The actress had been away from the public eye for a long time.

Recently, she shared the details of the accident that changed everything for her in an interview with People Magazine.

First, let’s take a look at Jennifer Grey’s life before the tragic event that happened in the summer of 1987.

Jennifer Grey started dancing when she was really young. Born in New York in 1960, her dad, Joel Grey, who was a director, photographer, dancer, singer, and actor, probably inspired her to go into the entertainment world.

She managed to get a few roles in TV commercials, including one for Dr. Pepper. Her first movie was “Reckless,” which came out in 1984. But her big break came a few years later when she starred as Frances “Baby” Houseman in “Dirty Dancing.”

The story of the beloved movie is based on the childhood of screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein. Overnight, Jennifer rose to fame and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Tragic incident

Sadly, she never got to really appreciate her huge success.

Grey and her boyfriend at the time, Matthew Broderick, were in Ireland just before the movie came out in August 1987.

But then, Broderick got into a serious car accident when he crashed into another vehicle while driving on the wrong side of the road. The crash hurt both of them, and in the other car were a mother and her daughter, who tragically lost their lives right away.

Broderick’s reckless driving charges were eventually dismissed. Meanwhile, Jennifer Grey only had some minor injuries and bruises, but she still struggled with emotional pain.

Just a few days after that, Dirty Dancing premiered. Even though the film became really popular, Grey couldn’t enjoy it.

It just didn’t sit right to be praised as the next big thing in the midst of such intense grief and survivor’s guilt. According to the Daily Mirror, Grey remarked, “It didn’t feel good to be the toast of the town.”

The actress will always struggle with the emotional pain caused by the accident.

She shared with People, “My dreams and my mindset changed completely.”

The worst nose job ever

She struggled with survivor’s guilt and was gone for a few years in the early 1990s, but then she showed up in one episode of Friends in 1995.

She had had plastic surgery by then, and her face looked completely different.

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In 2012, she said, “I went into the operating room famous, but came out without anyone knowing who I was.”

It felt like I was invisible, almost like I was in a witness protection program. It was the worst nose job imaginable. Now, because of that surgery, I’ll always be this actress who used to be famous but is forgotten by everyone.

Following that, Jennifer’s Hollywood career was intermittent.

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Jennifer had successfully returned to the mainstream media by 2010. After she won “Dancing with the Stars,” she became popular with her fans again. She said that this was really important to her.

It appears that I have starved myself in fear of what others may think of me. The actor explained to People, “This is like having a delicious steak after 23 years on a diet.”

Grey moved closer to the spotlight she had stepped away from in 2018. She is set to star in the new comedy Red Oaks and the movie Untogether.