News
Brooke Shields worried she would be ‘let down again’ after revealing rape in new documentary
Published
12 months agoon
By
New Yorker
Brooke Shields’ upcoming documentary “Pretty Baby” takes an all-encompassing look back at the actress’s career and details the intense media scrutiny she faced as a child star.
The two-part Hulu series examines Shields’ rise to fame, including her sexual objectification at a young age as the star of the controversial movies “Pretty Baby” and “The Blue Lagoon” and her relationship with her alcoholic mother and manager, Teri Shields. In her series, which premiered in February at the Sundance Film Festival, Shields, 57, revealed for the first time she had been raped in her 20s.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the model explained why opening up about her sexual assault by an unnamed industry professional was the most difficult part of telling her life story
“I was worried about the #MeToo stuff just because I didn’t want it to be reduced to just a headline,” Shields said.
She continued, “And yet I knew that if I didn’t, I would have felt like a hypocrite or inauthentic. I haven’t been able to talk about it up until now, and then it felt like, you sort of owe it to yourself.”
BROOKE SHIELDS DETAILS WHY SHE REVEALED RAPE 30 YEARS LATER: ‘IT’S A MIRACLE THAT I SURVIVED’
“And I just hoped that out of two hours and however many minutes, the one brief story — I mean, I knew it’s going to be clickbait — but I was worried that I would get let down again by the press.”
The two-time Golden Globe nominee explained that she developed coping mechanisms to handle the unrelenting press coverage and her late mother’s drinking problem.
“I think that happens with a child of an alcoholic,” she told AP. “You know, you really do learn to compartmentalize.”
She continued, “You love a person who is very broken and has a disease that they cannot seem to get under control. But you can’t afford to have their love not be real.”
“So you learn, when things felt …not in control…I would become very organized, and that sort of was my center, that was my meditation, you know, redoing my Filofax or refolding my socks.”
Teri managed Shields’ career from the time she made her modeling debut at 11 months old into her 20s. She died at age 79 after a long illness related to dementia.
Shields also reflected on gaining a confidence in her talent that she didn’t have in her younger years. The “A Castle For Christmas” star elaborated on the meaning behind a statement she makes in the documentary, in which she said she is “owning her identity fully.”
“I made myself small for so long, either to be relatable or to not be threatening or humbled, you know?,” she told the Associated Press.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
She continued, “Don’t be a snob. Don’t be arrogant. Have people like you. Be kind to everyone. It was like this the way I grew up, and I was rewarded for it.”
“I’m saying that it’s okay to pat myself on the shoulder a little bit. It’s okay to say I really do have talent because I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t. It’s not just because I’m smart or just because I look a certain way. I’ve maintained a career and kept challenging myself, and I don’t think I ever felt confident enough to say it out loud. I always just wanted other people’s approval about my talent, never thinking that I could give it to myself.”
The actress explained that she also feels more confident to express and assert herself in media interviews while promoting “Pretty Baby.”
“What I noticed when I was a little girl was that nobody really wanted my answers,” she said. “They wanted their narrative to be the soundbite that I gave them. And being very stubborn always, I, in my own way, refused to give it to them.”
Shields went on to say, “Now, I don’t ever feel like I’m on the defensive because I’ve learned that I’m not at anybody else’s mercy.”
“Looking back, I can see that that’s what I was doing, and I don’t need to do that anymore, which is very empowering but, you know, it took 40-something years,” she added with a laugh.
Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @ashleyhume
Source: Fox News
You may like
-
Florida May Just Be Too Valuable for PornHub to Pull Out
-
The Apprentice fans cringe at ‘horrendous’ online shopping task as viewers ‘turn on mute due to second hand embarrassment’: ‘This has got to be the worst task I have ever seen’
-
Japan flags ‘speculative’ yen moves, signals chance of intervention
Florida May Just Be Too Valuable for PornHub to Pull Out
The Apprentice fans cringe at ‘horrendous’ online shopping task as viewers ‘turn on mute due to second hand embarrassment’: ‘This has got to be the worst task I have ever seen’
Japan flags ‘speculative’ yen moves, signals chance of intervention
Quantum computing’s real-world app false dawn – Asia Times
Magdeburg: Customs officers discover over 3kg of heroin during vehicle inspection
Baltimore Lost More Than a Bridge
King Charles Is ‘Utterly Determined’ to Show Unity Among the Royal Family Amid Health Battles
Los Angeles Theatre Week Provides Access to Affordable Productions
Living with an anti-reunification North Korea – Asia Times
Thousands of phones and routers swept into proxy service, unbeknownst to users
Quantum computing’s real-world app false dawn – Asia Times
This is the way the West ends – Asia Times
Historian Calls Reconciliation ‘Unlikely’ for Prince Harry and the Royal Family amid Kate Middleton’s Cancer Announcement
Ryan Gosling Had a Hard Time Picking His Favorite Beatles Song
Taraji P. Henson Thought She Had No Chance Getting Cast in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’
Trending
-
News23 hours ago
Luxury Home of the Week: A modernized Gothic Revival in Manchester-by-the-Sea for $4.99m
-
Auto21 hours ago
The Porsche V-8 Engine Will Continue Into The Next Decade
-
Auto23 hours ago
This Special Volkswagen Badge Keeps Kangaroos Away
-
Travel19 hours ago
Explore Mumbai in Style: Rent My Bike Introduces Luxury Bike Rentals for Discerning Travelers
-
Lifestyle24 hours ago
Mel B Recalls Telling Ex Stephen Belafonte About Her Suicide Attempt
-
Auto22 hours ago
Lamborghini Has a New Logo, Which Looks a Lot Like the Old Logo
-
Wellness16 hours ago
Is Masseter Botox Worth It? We Asked 8 People for Their Honest Reviews
-
Travel18 hours ago
Emirates embraces Easter onboard and in lounges