Brooke Shields recalls a traumatic moment in which she felt exposed.
Brooke Shields’ autobiography will be published on January 14th, providing a deep insight into the actress’ eventful life. In her work entitled “Brooke Shields is not allowed to get old – Thoughts on aging as a woman” she not only addresses the positive aspects of her career. A central theme of the book is the devaluation of women in Hollywood that comes with increasing age. Shields also reveals personal experiences that have had a strong influence on her.
An incident that became known before the book was published occurred almost 20 years ago. At that time, the then 40-year-old actress decided to undergo cosmetic surgery for health reasons. She had her vulval lips reduced to relieve physical discomfort. But as she reports, the treating doctor carried out an additional procedure on his own initiative. During the follow-up check, she found out that he had also had his genital area tightened. “He told me he added a little bonus,” said the actress in “The Blue Lagoon.” However, this measure was not agreed upon.
Brooke Shields was angry and ashamed
Looking back, Brooke Shields describes her feelings at the time as a mixture of anger and deep shame. “It felt like an intrusion – an absurd form of violence. There was no reason to want to make anything tighter, smaller or younger,” she explains today.
For a long time she didn’t talk to anyone about the event – not even to her husband, Chris Henchy, to whom she has been married since 2001. She also refused legal action against the doctor because she did not want to make her shame and anger public. “It’s difficult for me to reveal these very personal details,” admits the actress.
In addition to her autobiography, the recently released Hulu documentary “Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby” is also in focus. In interviews for the documentary, Shields speaks openly for the first time about a rape she experienced in her twenties. She states that she remained silent at the time for fear of possible professional consequences. “I thought I would never be able to work again after that,” she says. She was also tormented by self-blame for a long time: “Why did I go with him? Why did I drink something while I ate?”