Sean Hepburn Ferrer is the son of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer. He has a half-brother, Luca Dotti, from Hepburn's second marriage, to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti.
Career
Film work
He initially worked in the film industry and worked on the design, production and marketing of films. He has been involved as an assistant director in making such films as Inchon, Tote kriegen keine Post and Strangers Kiss. In 2001, he filmed the documentary Racehoss about Albert Race Sample, who, as a convicted criminal in the prison, turned to writing and later helped other inmates to return to normal living. Ferrer directed the film and also took over the production. In 2003 he published a biography of his mother, Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers.
Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund
His mother's death in 1993 led him the following year to found the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, a charity funded by exhibitions of Audrey Hepburn memorabilia. He directed the charity in cooperation with his half-brother Luca Dotti, and Robert Wolders, his mother's last significant other, which thereafter continued the humanitarian work of Audrey Hepburn. Ferrer brought the exhibition "Timeless Audrey" on a world tour to raise money for the foundation. He served as Chairman of the Foundation before resigning in 2012, at which point Dotti became Chairman. In 2017, Ferrer was sued by the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund for alleged self-serving conduct. In October 2017, Ferrer responded by suing the Fund for trademark infringement, claiming that the Fund no longer had the right to use Hepburn's name or likeness. Ferrer's suit against the Fund was dismissed in March 2018 due to the complaint's failure to include Dotti as a defendant. In 2019, Ferrer prevailed in the Fund's suit against him, with the judge ruling there was no merit to the charity's claims it had the independent right to use Audrey Hepburn's name and likeness, or to enter into contracts with third parties without Ferrer's consent.
From 2014 to 2018, Ferrer was ambassador of the annual Rare Disease Days.
Personal Life
Ferrer has been married multiple times. His marriage to Leila Flannigan produced a daughter, Emma Ferrer. The couple divorced in 2000, when Emma was 6 years old. Ferrer also has two younger children.
