Renowned actress Brooke Shields has always been open about the challenges she faced as a child star in the entertainment industry.
However, in a recent revelation, she discloses that she was a victim of s**ual assault during her young adulthood.
During the debut of the documentary “Pretty Baby” at the Sundance Film Festival, Shields recounted a distressing incident that occurred soon after her graduation from Princeton University.
Struggling to secure roles post her early fame, Shields found herself in a vulnerable position.
She met with an individual under the guise of discussing work and ended up in a situation that scarred her deeply.
In the film, Shields narrates the sequence of events, recalling how she was lured back to a hotel room by the perpetrator promising to arrange transportation for her.
Alone in the unfamiliar room, she witnessed unsettling scenes through binoculars before the assailant approached her inappropriately, catching her off guard.
Feeling paralyzed by fear, Shields describes how she hesitated to resist physically, fearing escalation of violence.
The trauma left her in a state of shock, struggling to comprehend the violation she had experienced.
It took the intervention of her security advisor, Gavin de Becker, to help her acknowledge the gravity of what had transpired.
Having already faced objectification in Hollywood from a young age, particularly with her role in the controversial film “Pretty Baby,” Shields grappled with self-blame following the assault.
Despite her public image being molded by provocative roles and advertisements, she couldn’t shake off the sense of responsibility for the incident.
Reflecting on the aftermath, Shields admits to reaching out to her abuser, expressing the breach of trust caused by his actions, only to be met with dismissal.
Determined not to be defined as a victim, she emphasizes the importance of personal strength in overcoming adversity, especially in a system that often fails to provide adequate support.
While Shields has delved into her past in previous memoirs, this candid account marks the first time she has shared such intimate details of her traumatic experience.
The documentary, helmed by Lena Wilson (Miss Americana), is set to premiere on Hulu later this year, offering viewers a deeper insight into Shields’ journey.
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