Brooke Shields' Dark Hollywood Past Helped Shape Her Daughter's Modeling Career

From her controversial on-screen kiss at the age of 11 to her infamous '80s Calvin Klein ad, Brooke Shields' Hollywood experience as a child actor and model was riddled with contentious moments. Since those days, Shields has opened up about tragic details of her life, including the challenges of young stardom and the impact of the media's sexualization of young girls. Now a mother herself, having two daughters with her husband, Chris Henchy, she's fought to protect her daughter from the same industry pitfalls.

While Shields wouldn't let her daughters model as children, her second child, Grier Hammond Henchy, got into the industry during her teen years, with the experienced hand of her mother there to guide her. "For me, the fear of her being a model was so acute that I fought it and I fought it," Shields shared on the "Stupid Things for Love" podcast. "And then I got to this place where I thought ... it's sort of undeniable, right? So then I thought, 'Okay, how can I service her but not repeat any of the dangers that I experienced or create any of the dangers?'"

Shields has outlined a distinct set of rules for Henchy to protect the budding model from the darker parts of the industry. She's also expressed a desire to see her daughter pursue uplifting modeling gigs, just like the one they participated in together.

Grier Hammond Henchy, who was born in April 2006, has taken after her mother in many ways, as she's been spotted rocking some of Brooke Shields' most iconic looks. While Henchy is also following in her mother's footsteps by pursuing modeling, Shields is determined that her daughter's industry experiences are different from her own. 

"I finally had to sort of give in and say if you're gonna do this a. I'm not gonna be your manager. You're going to be with an agency," she said on "Live With Kelly and Mark" in 2023. The requirement comes from her experience of having her mother, Teri Shields, work as her manager throughout her career. While her mom was protective of her, the "Wanda Nevada" star explained that she was still naive to the industry as a young model and actor.

So far, Henchy seems to be adhering to her mother's requirements, as she signed with IMG Models when she was 15 years old. Shields also explained that she wanted her daughter to understand the hard work required by the industry, adding that Henchy was interested in runway modeling, and the necessity of having a back-up plan. "You're going to have a great work ethic," she continued. "It's not going to be comfortable and you're gonna listen to me. Those are my rules. And you're going to college."

Brooke Shields might have had trouble accepting her daughter's initial interest in modeling, but their shared Victoria's Secret shoot suggests that she's embracing Grier Hammond Henchy's foray into the industry in a very special way. Back in 2022, the mother-daughter duo took part in the clothing company's Mother's Day campaign, sporting matching pajama sets in beautiful black and white photos.

The campaign, titled "Real Love," centered around mothers, grandmothers, and their children, spotlighting models like Lais Ribeiro and Paloma Elsesser alongside their families. "It was very emotional, and it was as if I was watching my baby girl grow up right in front of my eyes," Shields told InStyle about the shoot (via Glamour). "It was truly a proud moment to be able to model alongside my daughter for such a meaningful campaign."

While it was a significant experience for Shields, who shared a clip from the campaign to Instagram, she also expressed a desire to see her daughter pursue similar opportunities in the future. As she explained, "For her to participate in modeling ventures that embrace women in so many facets of their lives is such a gift in this industry." While Shields experienced hardships in her early career, it's clear that she's determined to see her daughter take a better path.