Brooke Shields' younger daughter, Grier, faced a mix of shock and confusion upon discovering the truth about her mother's past sexual assault through the actress's documentary, "Pretty Baby."
Brooke Shields' younger daughter, Grier, has shared her gut-wrenching reaction to learning about her mother's sexual assault for the first time through the actress's documentary, "Pretty Baby." In an interview with People magazine alongside her mother and older sister, Rowan, Grier expressed the profound impact the revelation had on her.
The two-part documentary, which premiered in February 2023 at the Sundance Film Festival, delves into Shields' multifaceted career and the relentless media scrutiny and sexual objectification she endured as the star of controversial films like "Pretty Baby" and "The Blue Lagoon." In the documentary, Shields, now 59, disclosed for the first time that she had been raped in her 20s by an unnamed industry professional.
Brooke Shields' Daughter's Heartbreaking Response to Learning of Mother's Assault
Grier's initial reaction to the news was one of shock and raw emotion. "I was learning about things the same time that the world was and I just took it more deeply and personally," she said. "I couldn't even get through it."
Shields, who shares her two daughters with her husband, Chris Hency, acknowledged that she had not anticipated her younger daughter's reaction. "I didn't prepare her," the model admitted. "It was a miscommunication. I had explained it was an exploration of sexualization of women in my industry but I was naively thinking that because we had such a solid, healthy, fairly normal existence and I'm not completely damaged that she would say, 'Wow you've come through a lot but look where we are today.'"
Brooke Shields' Daughter's Heartbreaking Response to Learning of Mother's Assault
The actress expressed regret for not discussing her experience with Grier beforehand, particularly after witnessing her daughter's distress. "I told her 'but there's a happy ending' and she said, ‘I will never be okay with thinking something bad happened to you,'" Shields recalled.
Grier's words left an indelible mark on her mother. "She ended up missing the happy part," Shields continued. "She felt helpless, and just as a mom, we make mistakes and sometimes we make assumptions."
Brooke Shields' Daughter's Heartbreaking Response to Learning of Mother's Assault
Shields emphasized the importance of open communication and acknowledged that she has learned a great deal from her daughters' perspectives. "Part of being a mom is learning from your kids," she said. "I've learned a lot by listening to them."
Throughout the interview, Grier and Rowan shared their support for their mother's decision to share her story after more than three decades. "It's taken me this long to process it… I was never ready prior. I had to process it in my own way and on my own terms," Shields said in a previous interview with People magazine.
"Everybody processes their own trauma on a different timeline… it just felt like the right time now."
