Brooke Shields was first introduced to the world as a child model, and not long after, landed a very controversial role as a child prostitute in the 1978 movie Pretty Baby at age 12. Her worldwide recognition grew like wildfire when she starred in another controversial film, The Blue Lagoon. Coupled with her illustrious modeling career, the film cemented Shields as one of the most famous stars on the planet in the ’80s.
As a teenager, Shields aided in the worldwide recognition of global fashion brand Calvin Klein and became the youngest fashion model to cover Vogue magazine. Despite her polarizing entry into Hollywood, Shields continued rising in fame and success over the years. Her unforgettable roles in 1980’s The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love the following year secured her two Jupiter Awards for Best International Actress. By 1983, Shields took a break from acting and chose to focus on her education, earning a bachelor’s degree in French Literature from Princeton University.
After several minor film and television roles, she eventually became a major TV star in 1996 when she was cast as the lead in the hit television series Suddenly Susan. She received two consecutive Golden Globe nominations for her role as the titular character in the sitcom, which ran for four seasons. Some of her most notable guest roles include appearances on Friends, Jane the Virgin, Hannah Montana: The Movie, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Motherhood and postpartum depression
The four-time People’s Choice Award winner took another break from the screen in 2003 when she became pregnant with her first child with her second husband, Chris Henchy. The actress has been open about her struggle with postpartum depression and wrote about it in her book Down Came the Rain. At the time, she was also trying to come to terms with her father’s death and her very public divorce from her ex-husband, Andre Agassi. In an interview with Denise Mann for WebMD, she spoke about her highs and lows while juggling motherhood and depression.
“Postpartum depression takes certain truths and turns them into the worst version of the truth. The truth is, your life is changed forever when you have a child, but what you don’t factor in is that it might be better and it might be more enriched… I absolutely want more children, [but] I am not going to all of a sudden become a hero again and defeat the entire purpose of what I just learned. I am a perfect candidate for [another bout with] postpartum depression, and at least I know that now.”
What is Brooke Shields up to now?
Early last year, Shields was involved in an accident in which she fractured her femur. The bombshell was forced to take off her pumps and relearn how to walk after multiple surgeries. Six months after her rehabilitation, she bounced back and chose to use the ordeal as a learning opportunity. Later in the year, she launched a wellness brand called Beginning Is Now, which focuses on providing a safe space for women.
In an exclusive interview with Women’s Wear Daily, she revealed the reasons why she started the online platform.
“I’ve had so many beginnings in my life and every single time, they’ve been terrifying. But I dove deep, and I found the strength to just begin a new chapter that I couldn’t even possibly know what was going to happen. So, the purpose really is to energize women and to inspire a community, no matter where you are in your life, to say, find that courage. Find that strength to begin something new. Change something and pivot just a little bit and you’ll be surprised how capable you are and how big your life can be.”
On the topic of her driving force, she added:
“Before this, it’s been on other people’s terms, whereas this is generated just by me from this place of necessity with regards to a message that I wanted to get out and what that means to me. I feel stronger, sexier, more capable, more confident now than I ever have and I want other women to feel that way as well, to permit themselves.”
With this, we know that we will be seeing more of the 56-year-old star. Most recently, she starred in the Christmas rom-com A Castle for Christmas and lends her voice to the Adult Swim sitcom Momma Named Me Sheriff.
