American actress Brooke Shields has opened up on her relationship with her mum after she let her star in intimate film scenes at just 11 years old.
Shields, now 59, became a household name in 1978 when she starred in Pretty Baby, where she controversially appeared in nude scenes on a number of occasions during filming.
Her character was a child prostitute in the historical drama, with Shields even made to kiss co-star Keith Carradine in the film, who was 27 years old at the time.
Shields and Carradine in Pretty Baby (Paramount Pictures Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
It was’t the only film that saw Shields appear in intimate scenes at a young age, with her starring in The Blue Lagoon at the age of 14.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Shields has spoken candidly about her experience as a child star made to do this role, and the impact it had on her in the decades since.
In recent documentary Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby, the mum-of-two said she can’t quite understand how her mother, actress Teri Shields, allowed her to do the scenes. You can see a trailer for the documentary below:
Shields recalled that her mother simply told her the scenes were ‘make-believe’, with her on set for every scene that was filmed.
The documentary showcases the reaction of Shields’ own daughters, Grier and Rowan, with Rowan labelling it ‘child pornography’ after hearing what she had to do.
The two also asked their mother if she would let them do the same.
Breaking down in tears, Shield simply replies ‘no’.
“I mean, I could say – ‘Oh, it was the time back then’ or ‘Oh, it was art’,” Shields said. “But I don’t know why she thought it was all right. I don’t know.”
In a 2023 interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, Shields opened up on her relationship with her mother despite letting her carry out these scenes at an age that modern society would deem to be far too young.
Brooke with mum Teri (Robert R McElroy/Getty Images)
Conducting the interview, Drew Barrymore asked Shields if Teri had ever dated any of her former partners, like her own mother had done.
Responding, Shields said: “No, because she was in love with me.
“I was her main focus. Both of us were cut off from our sexuality. I was going to stay a virgin. She was going to be just Terri, terrific and being there.”
Keith Carradine, the actor who kissed 11-year-old Shields in Pretty Baby, said there is ‘no way that film would be made today’.
“Nor should we,” he added.
Brooke has spent years reflecting on her childhood experiences (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour)
“I was invited to participate by one of the world’s premiere filmmakers and it was made by a major film studio, and I trusted the people with whom I was working that it would be handled properly and delicately.
“And frankly, I was 27 years old at the time, and pretty naive in my own right. But we were working with extraordinary artists, and I did feel like care was being taken.”
Carradine, who has more recently starred in Dexter and The Big Bang Theory, said he ‘applauds Brooke’s exploration of her life and re-examining things from her childhood’.
You can stream Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby on Disney+ now.
