Brooke Shields Feels ‘More Confident’ Than Ever As She Turns 60

Brooke Shields spent much of her life being pleasant. As a preteen, she smiled politely as journalists asked if she felt she was being oversexualized and exploited in films like 1978’s. Pretty baby and his iconic Calvin Klein ads two years later. She was the loyal daughter to her mother and manager, Terrytheir alcoholism made their close bond indescribably complicated. She smiled for the cameras when they followed her to Princeton University in 1985 and asked (as if it was their business) for her to be a virgin. Young Brooke Shields was a master at standing out and being sweet.

As she grew up, she continued to shine but used her voice more defiantly – most memorably in 2005 New York Times op-ed response to Tom Cruise‘s an attack on her use of anti-depressants during postpartum depression after the birth of her first daughter, Rowan. He showed off his comedic chops in four seasons of his NBC sitcom, Suddenly Susanand multiple Broadway shows. He published two New York Times popular biographies.

Then she had the nerve to do something (apparently) unexpected: She kept getting older. Although her confidence and joy grew as she got older — she turns 60 this spring — she writes in her new book, Brooke Shields Doesn’t Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman (on sale Tuesday, January 14), “I began to notice that external perceptions did not seem to match my internal sense of self. My industry no longer welcomed me with the same enthusiasm I had come to expect. The tone from casting agents and producers, but also my fans, was more: You need to stop time … and maybe even reverse it. “

To borrow a phrase from her book, f— that. Frustrated at being “neglected at the very moment I felt at my peak,” she wrote, she added a new entry to her resume in 2024: founder and CEO of Commence, a community and online hair care brand designed for women over 40.

Related: Brooke Shields & Chris Henchy Family Album With 2 Daughters: Photos

Brooke Shields is an accomplished actress, model and writer, but her favorite gig is motherhood. Former student Susan Suddenly shares daughters Rowan (born in May 2003) and Grier (born in April 2006) with husband Chris Henchy, whom she married in 2001. Although the New York native often shares joyful updates for the (…)

“The more I’m expected to be invisible, to make no demands or to fade away so I can be frozen in time like a certain (read: younger) version of Brooke Shields,” she writes, ” the fuller I intend. to stand tall and take my place as the woman I am now.” The star who was once called America’s sweetheart talks to her Us for stepping into her power.

The book opens with you and your daughters, Rowan, now 21, and Grier, 18, walking down the street and your realization that people are staring at them, not you. Say Us for that.

The conflicts we feel — they hit you all at once. There’s such a protectiveness, such a pride and joy, and then it’s a reflection back on what you’re no longer, technically. And I’m not saying there’s jealousy or envy, but it’s restructuring: they start their journey as you reach a level that is hopefully (more) happy and calm but brings many sad feelings.

It’s the perfect setting for something you’ll write later in the book: “When men stop noticing you, it’s a pretty good indicator of how the world in general is going to’ treat you.”

For me, I think anyone who has a daughter especially can relate to: Oh, my God, I’m not into that anymore. What is my worth now?

You talk about learning to use invisibility to your advantage—letting people underestimate you and then taking advantage of that.

If you don’t get angry and find a way to harness it, it’s a tool. It’s funny, all my girls are righteous about these things: “How could you say that, Mom?” I will say, “My ego has no problem with playing this game. I weaken my opponent into thinking that I am incapable.” I found it to be a source of definite power and strength.

I used to apologize or start with “I’m probably wrong, but…” or, “Do you think maybe…?” I don’t have to come in weak anymore. And then I don’t have to end it with, “But you know better.”

How have you learned to navigate these conversations?

You can delay and be respectful. Often I say, “This is your area of ​​expertise, and I’m not pretending to know a percentage of what you do, but I think…” Then I’m a little more level-headed , and I don’t feel like I have to humiliate myself to express something, whereas I think I used to be afraid of being judged.

So many women are more comfortable and confident in their 40s and 50s. Why is there this idea that middle-aged women are completely boring?

Because they’ve told us we’re boring. And so if you even look at the nature of advertising, right, it’s always like, “Do you have dry skin? is this you Wmp-womp.” That’s what the narrative is, and the beauty company, pharmaceutical or whatever it is, they’re going to come in and solve all your problems for you. Because if you’re happy, well, what if you don’t need their dry skin cream? So it’s this whole conspiracy that we’ve been fed.

That is absolutely correct.

Yes, (aging) has its disadvantages, but (we) are not chasing something anymore: we have to have babies by this age, get married, finish college. There are so many decades where we are trying to get to the next step. And then there is a shift.

Once the pressure is off, you point out, older women are more able to be themselves: “We can push boundaries when we’re moving through the world without the watchful eyes of, well, everyone. “

It doesn’t mean I’m less ambitious. If anything, I’m probably more ambitious because I feel like I deserve it more. I’m still afraid. I keep getting nervous I’m not good enough. I still have to force myself to push through, (but) we are becoming unignorable. We’re pretty scary, and I think that’s a little scary for everyone.

Related: Brooke Shields Explains Why She Was ‘Fighting’ Against Girl’s Modeling Career

Caring for her children. Brooke Shields was candid about her initial reaction to her 17-year-old daughter Grier’s interest in modeling. “The rules have changed since I was (a model). I fought so long. It’s such a different industry now than it was,” explained Shields, 58, during an appearance on Live With Kelly and (…)

It takes a different kind of strength to allow yourself the grace to say no — for example, you turned down an invitation to perform alongside Broadway powerhouses Cynthia Erivo and Susan Boyle from Britain has Talent. How do you decide when to say no to what seems—to everyone else, at least—a golden opportunity?

There’s a sense of healthy humility, (of) why would you want to do that to yourself? It’s not, I’m “less than” as a person, but there’s no way my abilities can match theirs. I used to think that if I was good enough, I’d go and at least hold my own, and that would be an achievement in itself. But you have to say, “I don’t want that feeling in my stomach that I would undoubtedly feel.”

You dedicate a chapter to becoming an empty nester like the first one, then your two daughters left for Wake Forest University in North Carolina. “My girls have many skills that I never did,” you write. Have you worked to lead them away from habits you don’t love in yourself, like people pleasers?

I have one who pleases people very much, and I have a younger one who is right and wrong, and it doesn’t matter what people think. She is very strong in her opinion. Even her reactions – I’ll say, “Aren’t you embarrassed?” And she’s like, “No. No, I’m not.” And she’s 18, she might feel differently. My oldest actually straddles that, and I don’t know if it’s age, birth (order), whatever – we’re the most alike, in our approach to life and our actions.

I am so glad that I have cleared a space for them to be able to contradict me, express their feelings and not fear that they will be judged. And be fine if I don’t agree with them. They have different ways of expressing it to me.

One thing that is so specific to you is how much of your life is documented. What is it like to look back and see the girl you once were, who was under so much scrutiny?

I have such empathy. My heart swells for her and her desperate, desperate need to protect her mother and take care of everything. It felt like that’s what I was going to do.

And today?

I see myself now (at Startup HQ), and I never aspired to be in a position like this. I think about the Zoom I had this morning with one of our investors, and how clear I was about that; and how I was in therapy an hour earlier; and how I guide my children; and how I help my husband through something; and you see all these different deposits of a woman’s wheel, you know? There is pride, because I don’t give as— if someone doesn’t like me anymore. I mean, yes, you get the little pang, but I sit back and I think, I don’t even know if I respect you, so why would I care so much about you like me?