โBrooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.โ
Thatโs the title of Shieldsโ new memoir, and itโs also something a man felt comfortable saying to her at a party, the actor shared during a recent appearance on โThe Kelly Clarkson Show.โ
โI was at a cocktail party and I was having a nice conversation with a gentleman, and he was sort of impressing me with his knowledge of wine, so I decided to talk about my vintage,โ she told Clarkson.ย
โAnd I said, โOh, Iโm 59,โ and he said, โI wish you didnโt tell me that.โโ
Shields said she was โshockedโ at the time and realized the man had had โa knee-jerk reaction.”
โIn that one moment, he had to understand his age, he had to understand that I was no longer โBlue Lagoon,โ and all of it got put on its head,โ she said, referring to her 1980 movie, โThe Blue Lagoon,โ which came out when she was 15.
She said this moment reminded her that some people struggle to accept that she is no longer the teenager who rose to fame for her Calvin Klein ads, as well as for her controversial sensual early roles in movies including โPretty Babyโ and โEndless Love.โ
โUnless you are a figure that sadly dies early, you donโt stay frozen. And so it made me really start thinking of what we do, especially in this country, to women,โ she said. โAnd then, for me, to be around this long but not be 15, and have people imprint on me at age 15, or maybe I was in their locker or their posters.โ
Shields said she received a similar comment from a stranger while recording a recent Instagram Live video.
โI got one of the little notes that said, โWow, I wish you looked like the way you used to look,โโ she said. โAnd I was like, read the title of my book. Do you understand what youโre doing culturally?โ
The actor and model said she is not personally offended by these comments, but said she feels โoffended for women who are not allowed to age gracefully.โ
โYouโre either the sexy girl at the bar or youโre in Depends, and thereโs no middle ground,โ she said. โI love this middle ground because Iโve earned it.โ
She added that at this point in her life, she no longer cares what other people think about her age.
โBy the time youโre 59, you start going, โHe he he, come on, bring it on, and Iโm going to have fun,โโ she said.
