Considered one of the great sex symbols in the history of cinema, Brooke Shields (59) is one of the few child prodigies who has reached adulthood unscathed. When Louis Malle, who passed away in 1993 leaving Candice Bergen a widow, offered her the lead role in Pretty Baby (1978) at the age of 12, success came knocking at her door. Portraying a teenager forced into prostitution by her mother was a scandal. Her sensuality and desirability came with The Blue Lagoon (1980), one of the most iconic films of the eighties, and with Endless Love (1981), where Tom Cruise made his film debut in a role that almost went unnoticed. In Shields, the American public knew her as a child model, a profession that would propel her to stardom and make her an erotic icon. Starring in the controversial Calvin Klein jeans campaign with the slogan 'You wanna know what comes between me and my Clavin's? Nothing' caused a stir at the time. No designer had gone so far with such a sexually suggestive double entendre. Several TV networks censored the ad while the designer stated that "jeans are sex. The tighter, the better they sell." Needless to say, the brand sold hundreds of thousands of pieces, and Brooke secured a place in history.
Approaching 60, the actress has decided to clean out her closets, donating the pants that will be auctioned by Studio Auctions from October 25 to 27 in Los Angeles. Titled 'From Bombshells to Blasters: An Auction You Can't Refuse', fans can also bid on her script from The Blue Lagoon and her cheerleader sweater. It is expected that the pants will reach 50,000 euros. Brooke Shields' enduring presence in the collective imagination is thanks to her mother, Keri, who from birth was enslaved by her tyrannical mother who wasted no time in sexualizing the young girl. At 11 months old, she had already starred in a soap commercial. She soon earned $10,000 a day as a model, a million dollars per film, and another million for licensing her image for a doll. The success of the toy and Brooke's image was such that on one occasion when she was forgotten at the airport and the plane was already on the runway ready to take off, it had to turn back to retrieve her.
That was the least of her problems, as Keri was also a ruthless and insatiable manager. She told her how to answer in interviews, how to look at the camera with sensual lips, she threw the phone in the shredder if she talked too much, and when drunk, she kept telling her daughter she was fat. Additionally, she spent a significant portion of the money on vices and whims. Brooke cut ties with her modeling career because she wanted to study at Princeton University, where she graduated in Romance Languages. But she never gave up acting. Over the years, the star of Suddenly Susan (1996-2000) managed to forgive her mother.
Her love life was filled with famous names. She dated Matt Dillon, had more than a friendship with Michael Jackson and later with Julian Lennon, was enamored with John John Kennedy, courted by Prince Albert II of Monaco, and even spent time with Dodi Al Fayed, known worldwide for being Lady Di's fiancé until they both tragically died in Paris. In 1997, she married André Agassi, but almost three years later they divorced.
In 2000, she met screenwriter Chris Henchy (60), whom she married in 2001. They are still married and are parents to Rowan (21) and Grier (18).