Brooke Shields was body-shamed but her husband had a fitting response

Brooke Shields stands out as one of the most distinguished actresses of her era, widely recognized for her exceptional beauty by her admirers. Nevertheless, she is now candidly addressing the unjust criticism she has encountered throughout her life.

Continue reading to discover more about the challenges the actress has faced…

Brooke Shields is renowned as one of the most accomplished supermodels globally. Her remarkable talent and beauty have established her as a prominent figure both on the runway and in film.

At 57 years old, this beauty icon has faced her share of critics who sought to undermine her achievements. Recently, she has begun to discuss her relationship with her mother, Teri, who served as her manager from a young age. Her mother was often her harshest critic. Shields recalls, “My mother would get drunk and say: ‘Why don’t you move your fat ass?’ So, I’ve always believed I had a fat ass.” This experience of body-shaming from her own mother significantly influenced her self-perception.

In 2012, her mother passed away after a prolonged struggle with alcoholism. However, the impact of her mother’s comments lingered, making it difficult for Shields to overcome the emotional scars. It took considerable time to mend the damage inflicted during her formative years. Ultimately, it was her husband of 17 years, Chris Henchy, a screenwriter, who helped her embrace her body and recognize her inherent beauty.

She recounted, “I would walk backwards out of rooms, and he’d say: ‘No, I want to grab onto you.’” Shields noted, “He truly celebrated my womanliness and my body. And I needed a man to celebrate me.” Prior to this, she was married to Andre Agassi from 1997 to 1999. She made her Hollywood debut as a teenage actress, but it was her iconic Calvin Klein jeans advertisement, photographed by Richard Avedon in 1980, that solidified her status as an icon.

While the public has consistently regarded her as beautiful, Shields reveals that criticism has always been present. She remarked, “I modeled swimwear when I was 15, and even then I didn’t think I had a swimsuit body.”
I was a cover girl rather than a supermodel. My appeal was primarily from the neck up — the face and the eyebrows — and I was consistently characterized as ‘athletic’; ‘not excessively thin’; ‘not a runway model.’ Such perceptions can deeply influence one’s self-image,” the actress concluded.

A few years prior, she participated in another swimsuit campaign and collaborated once more with Calvin Klein. She emphasized her commitment to the role, ensuring she presented herself in the best possible light.

“I realized that failing to look my best would lead to feelings of embarrassment and frustration. I eliminated beer and wine from my diet and committed to exercising three times a week. I became the best version of myself,” she remarked, adding, “I was also quite hungry.”

It is quite astonishing to learn that even someone as beautiful as Brooke Shields experienced insecurities. While the public viewed her as stunning, her own mother and other critics attempted to undermine her confidence.

It is uplifting to note that her husband countered these negative beliefs, reminding her of her beauty and assisting her in embracing her body as it is.

Recently, the actress has spoken out about a sexual assault she endured over 30 years ago. In a recent interview with People, Shields disclosed that she was assaulted by a Hollywood executive shortly after her graduation from Princeton University.

At that time, she held herself responsible, but as the years have passed, she has had the opportunity to reflect on the incident. “I feel more anger now than I was able to express back then. If you feel fear, it is entirely justified. Such situations can be frightening, even if they are not overtly violent.”

This marks the first occasion the model-turned-actress has disclosed her experience as a sexual assault victim, noting that “People were not inclined to believe such stories back then. I feared I would never work again.”

Her narrative, which regrettably mirrors the experiences of many in Hollywood, is explored in greater depth in an upcoming two-part documentary titled Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. “Creating the documentary allowed me to see everything in context, and it truly feels miraculous that I survived,” Shields stated.