Brooke Shields’ daughter said she found out the deeply disturbing details of her mother’s allegations of sexual assault along with the rest of the world — when she saw her mom’s documentary.
Shields’ youngest daughter, Grier, was completely unaware that her mother said she had been sexually abused until she tuned in to Shields’ 2023 documentary, “Pretty Baby,” according to an interview with People published Aug. 30. Grier reportedly admitted she was so taken aback that she couldn’t watch the entire thing.
The documentary touched on Shields’ career and personal life both on and off camera, and the famous model and actress admitted to the outlet that she didn’t prepare her youngest daughter before it was released.
“Part of being a mom is learning from your kids,” Shields said in an interview with People that included her daughters — 21-year-old Rowan, 21 and 18-year-old Grier.
The documentary was the first time she publicly said she had been sexually assaulted by a prominent and powerful Hollywood figure, and to this day, she has not identified her alleged abuser by name.
Shields said the assault occurred when she was in her 20s. The actress told the outlet Grier had no idea she was about to discover that tidbit of information about her own mom.
“I didn’t prepare her,” Shields admitted to the outlet.
BRIDGEHAMPTON, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 3: Brooke Shields and her daughter Grier Henchy attend the 2023 Hampton Classic Horse Show Longines Grand Prix on September 3, 2023 in Bridgehampton, New York. (Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)
“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,'” she told People
The shocking news resonated deeply with Grier.
“I was learning about things the same time that the world was and I just took it more deeply and personally,” she reportedly said. “I couldn’t even get through it.”
BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY – SEPTEMBER 02: Brooke Shields and daughter Grier Henchy attend the 2018 Hamptons Classic $300,000 Grand Prix at Hampton Classic Horse Show grounds on September 1, 2018 in Bridgehampton, New York. (Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)
“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 went on to tell People.
“She ended up missing the happy part,” Brooke told People. (RELATED: ‘I Looked Like His Mother’: Brooke Shields Details Her Very Awkward Date With John F. Kennedy Jr.)
“She felt helpless, and just as a mom, we make mistakes and sometimes we make assumptions,” she admitted in the interview.
