Brooke Shields says her friends are ‘surprised she’s not in rehab or a total train wreck’ following her traumatic childhood

Brooke Shields revealed that her loved ones are always “surprised” that she didn’t become “a total train wreck” after her traumatic childhood and upbringing.

Reflecting on how she avoids being defined by her looks, the actress, who turned 59 last week, explained that she always viewed her modeling career as “a job” that “paid the bills.”

“It paid our bills,” she recalled TODAY, referring to her time as the primary breadwinner in her home as a former child model. “I had a very strange, compartmentalized way of living through it, you know? And I just learned that I was so much more than that.”

The mother of two explained that she made the choice to attend Princeton not to “prove” anything to people, but to “have something that can never be taken away from her.”

She continued, “I knew enough to make a life for myself.”

Yet her friends and family are “always surprised that” she is “normal.”

‘That’s very strange. I have a friend who says, “I’m surprised you’re not in rehab or a total train wreck,” the supermodel admitted to hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

Shields credits her “family and friends and school” for keeping her on the right path during the turbulent time in her life.

“But that’s where I’m entering this era of my life with positivity because for the first time, it’s really on my terms,” ​​she explained.

Shields went on to talk about her new hair care line, Commence, which is specifically designed for women over 40.

On Tuesday, the bombshell also explained that she and her brand were on a mission to address issues like hair loss and “changes” in your hair as you age when creating the formulas.

She said People that Commence’s three hero products “address the health of the hair’s scalp, from root to tip, to truly understand what’s happening to stunt growth.”

Noting that many women struggle with “dry” hair after age 40, Shields pointed out that no one “wants to hear it.” [that word in relation to] any part of her body.”

Shields first started modeling when she was just 11 months old when she appeared in an advertisement for the brand Ivory Soap.

While reflecting on how she avoids being defined by her appearance, the 59-year-old actress explained that she always viewed her modeling career as “a job” that “paid the bills.”

Yet her friends and family are ‘always surprised that’ she is ‘normal’ and say they are ‘surprised’ that she is not in rehab

Shields credits her “family and friends and school” for keeping her on the right path during the turbulent time in her life

She became one of the most successful child models of all time, starring in a slew of campaigns for major companies like Gerber, Calvin Klein and Vogue – and soon expanded her career by entering the world of acting.

But the actress famously posed nude for Playboy when she was just 10 years old, and starred as a child prostitute in the 1978 film Pretty Baby when she was 11.

During the filming of the movie, Brooke was forced to kiss her co-star, Keith Carradine, then 27.

She spoke out against her mother — who was a model and actress herself and Brooke’s manager for years — for exposing her to so much at a young age and not helping her when she found herself in inappropriate situations last year. in the Hulu documentary about her life, titled Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Shields stated that she is not “angry” at her late mother, Teri, but instead feels “sad” for her.

Brooke started modeling at just 11 months old when she appeared in an advertisement for the Ivory Soap brand and went on to become one of the most successful child models of all time (pictured in 1983)

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Shields stated that she is not ‘angry’ at her late mother, Teri, but instead feels ‘sad’ for her (pictured in 1980)

Shields went on to talk about her new hair care line, Commence, which is specifically created for women over 40 (seen in 2024)

In her 2014 memoir, There Was A Little Girl: The Real Story Of My Mother And Me, Brooke further discussed her relationship with Teri, who became an alcoholic when the star was just a baby after her father, Frank, left them .

In the book, Brooke explained that their bond became “so intense” because her mother was the only person she had.

‘I thought she was God, I thought she could change the weather. It was us against the world,” she wrote.

“It’s so innate when you’re an only child of a single mother,” she added to The Times. “All you want is to love your parents and keep them alive forever, and that’s why I wanted to protect her.

“And because I protected her, I justified everything, and that strengthened the bond between us.”