Dakota Johnson Reveals How Mom Melanie Griffith Embarrassingly Introduced Her to Barack Obama: 'I Died Inside'

Mar. 15, 2025

Dakota Johnson and Melanie Griffith in 2023.Photo:Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Boat Rocker & TeaTime PicturesDakota Johnsonwas a bit mortified after meetingBarack Obamathanks for her momMelanie Griffith.Speaking withVanity Fairfor a look back at some of her filmography on YouTube — including her role in the 2010 Mark Zuckerberg-inspired movieThe Social Network—the actress, 34, spoke about the moment when she and her famous mom met the former president.“I was with my mom and we were meeting Barack Obama and it was a huge deal,” Johnson recalled. “He was talking to her and she goes, ‘Oh, Mr. President, this is my daughter. She just did a movie. She’s an actress too. She was inThe Social Network.She’s in her underwear.““And I died,” she joked. “I died inside.“Dakota Johnson with parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.Jamie McCarthy/GettyInThe Social Network, Johnson — who Griffith shares with her exDon Johnson— appears in one scene in which her character and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) wake up in bed together — both in just t-shirts and underwear — after having a one-night stand. Speaking withVanity Fair,Johnson said that she had some big “preconceived ideas” about her *NSYNC alum costar.“Are you kidding?” Johnson said. “I was just like 19 andstraddling Justin Timberlakeand like whipping him in the face with my hair. 100% had preconceived notions, but he was lovely and kind and really, you know, welcoming for a person that was just a stranger.“Johnson even joked that she wasn’t allowed to keep her “booty shorts” from the movie — and that she did so many takes of the scene that she still remembers all the lines, 14 years after it came out.“I think that because this wasThe Social Networkand David Fincher, we did this so many times that I’m like, I’m in it. I know it. I know all the lines. It’s still there,” she joked. “We did it so many times that I feel like I remember this and it’s happening now. Maybe I was traumatized.“Johnson in ‘The Social Network.'.MaxNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Johnson has previously joked about how her famous mother still embarrasses her as an adult. During an appearance onThe Late Late Showin January 2022, she told hostJames Cordenthat Griffith will post childhood photos of her to Instagram without her permission.“I don’t like it, but I don’t go on social media, so I don’t find out about it until it’s really like, baked into the Internet,“she saidat the time. “And somebody will send it to me like, ‘You were so ugly!’ Or, ‘You were so cute when you had braces and a slicked back ponytail!’ “Dakota said she becomes “like a 12-year-old” when her mom embarrasses her and tells Griffith, “‘Mom! You can’t do that! We’ve had this conversation so many times!’ She doesn’t care.”

Dakota Johnson and Melanie Griffith in 2023.Photo:Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Boat Rocker & TeaTime Pictures

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Boat Rocker & TeaTime Pictures

Dakota Johnsonwas a bit mortified after meetingBarack Obamathanks for her momMelanie Griffith.Speaking withVanity Fairfor a look back at some of her filmography on YouTube — including her role in the 2010 Mark Zuckerberg-inspired movieThe Social Network—the actress, 34, spoke about the moment when she and her famous mom met the former president.“I was with my mom and we were meeting Barack Obama and it was a huge deal,” Johnson recalled. “He was talking to her and she goes, ‘Oh, Mr. President, this is my daughter. She just did a movie. She’s an actress too. She was inThe Social Network.She’s in her underwear.““And I died,” she joked. “I died inside.“Dakota Johnson with parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.Jamie McCarthy/GettyInThe Social Network, Johnson — who Griffith shares with her exDon Johnson— appears in one scene in which her character and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) wake up in bed together — both in just t-shirts and underwear — after having a one-night stand. Speaking withVanity Fair,Johnson said that she had some big “preconceived ideas” about her *NSYNC alum costar.“Are you kidding?” Johnson said. “I was just like 19 andstraddling Justin Timberlakeand like whipping him in the face with my hair. 100% had preconceived notions, but he was lovely and kind and really, you know, welcoming for a person that was just a stranger.“Johnson even joked that she wasn’t allowed to keep her “booty shorts” from the movie — and that she did so many takes of the scene that she still remembers all the lines, 14 years after it came out.“I think that because this wasThe Social Networkand David Fincher, we did this so many times that I’m like, I’m in it. I know it. I know all the lines. It’s still there,” she joked. “We did it so many times that I feel like I remember this and it’s happening now. Maybe I was traumatized.“Johnson in ‘The Social Network.'.MaxNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Johnson has previously joked about how her famous mother still embarrasses her as an adult. During an appearance onThe Late Late Showin January 2022, she told hostJames Cordenthat Griffith will post childhood photos of her to Instagram without her permission.“I don’t like it, but I don’t go on social media, so I don’t find out about it until it’s really like, baked into the Internet,“she saidat the time. “And somebody will send it to me like, ‘You were so ugly!’ Or, ‘You were so cute when you had braces and a slicked back ponytail!’ “Dakota said she becomes “like a 12-year-old” when her mom embarrasses her and tells Griffith, “‘Mom! You can’t do that! We’ve had this conversation so many times!’ She doesn’t care.”

Dakota Johnsonwas a bit mortified after meetingBarack Obamathanks for her momMelanie Griffith.

Speaking withVanity Fairfor a look back at some of her filmography on YouTube — including her role in the 2010 Mark Zuckerberg-inspired movieThe Social Network—the actress, 34, spoke about the moment when she and her famous mom met the former president.

“I was with my mom and we were meeting Barack Obama and it was a huge deal,” Johnson recalled. “He was talking to her and she goes, ‘Oh, Mr. President, this is my daughter. She just did a movie. She’s an actress too. She was inThe Social Network.She’s in her underwear.”

“And I died,” she joked. “I died inside.”

Dakota Johnson with parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

InThe Social Network, Johnson — who Griffith shares with her exDon Johnson— appears in one scene in which her character and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) wake up in bed together — both in just t-shirts and underwear — after having a one-night stand. Speaking withVanity Fair,Johnson said that she had some big “preconceived ideas” about her *NSYNC alum costar.

“Are you kidding?” Johnson said. “I was just like 19 andstraddling Justin Timberlakeand like whipping him in the face with my hair. 100% had preconceived notions, but he was lovely and kind and really, you know, welcoming for a person that was just a stranger.”

Johnson even joked that she wasn’t allowed to keep her “booty shorts” from the movie — and that she did so many takes of the scene that she still remembers all the lines, 14 years after it came out.

“I think that because this wasThe Social Networkand David Fincher, we did this so many times that I’m like, I’m in it. I know it. I know all the lines. It’s still there,” she joked. “We did it so many times that I feel like I remember this and it’s happening now. Maybe I was traumatized.”

Johnson in ‘The Social Network.'.Max

Max

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Johnson has previously joked about how her famous mother still embarrasses her as an adult. During an appearance onThe Late Late Showin January 2022, she told hostJames Cordenthat Griffith will post childhood photos of her to Instagram without her permission.

“I don’t like it, but I don’t go on social media, so I don’t find out about it until it’s really like, baked into the Internet,“she saidat the time. “And somebody will send it to me like, ‘You were so ugly!’ Or, ‘You were so cute when you had braces and a slicked back ponytail!’ "

Dakota said she becomes “like a 12-year-old” when her mom embarrasses her and tells Griffith, “‘Mom! You can’t do that! We’ve had this conversation so many times!’ She doesn’t care.”

source: people.com