Dustin Hoffman And Meryl Streep Had A Real Tumultuous Relationship On Set Of ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’

Dustin Hoffman and A-list actress Meryl Streep starred in the award-winning movie Kramer vs. Kramer, and quite like their characters, they had some real-life feuds, too. Dustin’s Ted Kramer and Meryl’s Joanne Kramer were eight years married when the latter suddenly asked for a divorce.

A furious Ted engages in a custody battle for their son Billy, who is deeply troubled by their split. Dustin won an Oscar for Best Actor, while Meryl snagged the well-deserved Best Supporting Actress award at the 52nd Academy Awards in 1980.

Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman’s on-set feud

Meryl and Dustin did not get along on set due to various incidents, including when Meryl accused Dustin of actually slapping her during a fight scene between their characters. She explained that Dustin’s abusive role likely spilled over into his real self during rehearsal. Unlike Dustin, Meryl was new to Hollywood and took offense at the slap, which was likely a mistake.

She later reflected on the incident, noting that it was a tricky situation because it was her first movie. She admitted to not being perfect either, as she may have hurt her co-stars in subsequent movies. Regardless of her introspection, Meryl still insists that Dustin overstepped with the acting and truly hit her.

Why did Dustin Hoffman hit Meryl Streep on set?

Although unlike Meryl, Dustin never addressed the slap from the Kramer vs. Kramer set, an unauthorized biography by journalist Michael Schulman, Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep, said he did it on purpose to anger Meryl.

It was not Dustin’s only abusive behavior towards his female co-star either, as he allegedly taunted her with her love life mid-scene, as her ex-partner John Cazale died the year before. Meryl’s rep claimed Dustin apologized for his behavior, and Meryl accepted. There were other allegations, including him touching her breasts during their first encounter, which Meryl’s rep tagged as an inaccurate account of what really happened.