Brooke Shields has said that it’s a “miracle” she survived after being raped in her 20s by a powerful Hollywood executive.
The documentary “Beautiful Baby” by Brooke Shields caused a stir at the Sundance Film Festival. With a focus on her emergence as a child model and subsequent parts in movies like “Beautiful Baby” and “The Blue Lagoon,” Shields’ most recent film takes audiences on a journey through her career in the entertainment world.
But what has really captured audiences’ attention is the revelation that Shields was sexually assaulted by a powerful Hollywood executive in her 20s. In a recent interview with People magazine, Shields opened up about her experience, revealing that she had never gone public with the assault until now because she thought no one would believe her.
“It’s taken me a long time to process it,” the actress, now 57, told People Wednesday after revealing the post-college assault in her Hulu documentary, “Pretty Baby.”
“I’m more angry now than I was able to be then,” she continued. “If you’re afraid, you’re rightfully so. They are scary situations. They don’t have to be violent to be scary.”
The rape occurred shortly after Shields graduated from Princeton University in 1987.
Ms Shields hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others who may have experienced similar situations. She wants to encourage people to come forward and seek help, saying “If you’re afraid, you’re rightfully so. They are scary situations. They don’t have to be violent to be scary.”
Shields noted that she has been sexualized in Hollywood for decades, beginning when she appeared nude in the 1978 film “Pretty Baby” when she was just 11 years old.
“It was just easier to shut myself off. I was good at it,” she told the magazine.
The “Endless Love” star married Chris Henchy in 2001, and they share two daughters: Rowan, 19, and Grier, 16.
