Brooke Shields: Trauma, Resilience and Aging

In this powerful episode of Red Lips Real Talk, the hosts dive deep into the life and legacy of Brooke Shields, exploring her experiences with trauma, resilience, and aging. Through candid discussion of Shields’ documentary "Pretty Baby" and her memoir "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old," the conversation unpacks the complexities of childhood exploitation, the pressures of fame, and the societal expectations placed on women as they age. The hosts reflect on Shields’ journey from victim to survivor, her openness about postpartum depression, and her ongoing advocacy for women’s empowerment. The episode is both a raw examination of difficult topics and an inspiring testament to overcoming adversity.

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Transcript

You are listening to the Red Lips Real Talk podcast where we talk about life, love, and everything in between. You already know it's time to get real. 

Could you imagine being nine years old and your mother gets paid $450 to allow Playboy to take nude photos of you? True story. Well, that's what we're gonna be talking about today. So be prepared 'cause we're gonna dive deep. We're gonna be talking about Brooke Shields, her documentary Pretty Baby, and also her most current book, which is Brooke Shields, is Not Allowed to Get Old. 

That is the second book of our book Club on Red Lips Real Talk if you're in our club, and we'll be announcing the third book at the end of this podcast if you wanna continue being in our virtual book club. Monica, that was very powerful. I did not expect you to start the show like that. It's a, it's a very powerful thing. 

It is. How does a mother allow that at nine years old? Mm-hmm. What, what, what is she thinking to, to be like, that's okay. And how many people say, well, it was a different time. Right, right. That's a, I think that's a very, a popular thing that people make, like excuses for horrible things like that, that were done 40, 50 years ago. 

Um, saying it was a different time, but I don't, I don't think that. I think it caused controversy back then. Even then. Even back then it did, because there was people that were really angry about it. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So a different time. It doesn't make sense when people say that because, right. Yeah. What's wrong is wrong. 

What's wrong is wrong. Yeah. Yeah. I'm actually pretty, uh, surprised that Brooke Shields was able, able to overcome. I, I never really realized, 'cause I was a little girl, you know, and I never really realized that from the minute she was born. She was already, her, had a mother who was like literally just trying to make her a star and has been exploited pretty much a huge portion of her life. 

Mm-hmm. That's enough to drive. Any person, I think a little bit de depression, or I don't wanna be disrespectful, but for lack of a better word, a little batshit crazy. Mm-hmm. You know, and you, those are the type of things that can cause you to become like Britney Spears or Amanda Bines. And the fact that she was able to come out of this alive and so adjusted and well-spoken and educated is a very admirable thing. 

Yeah. And if anything. I, in the beginning I kind of felt sorry for her, but I don't anymore. I actually see her power. That she got it back and I feel like she is an inspiration. Yeah. Yeah. She is. Yeah. And, and so I hope that the things that we're gonna be bringing up, some things may trigger people. So I, uh, I hope not, but if there's a takeaway, let it be that you can overcome a lot of traumas and adversities so long as you never give up on yourself. 

In her memoir, the Brooke Shield is not allowed to get old. She dives into the pressures where women face to maintain youthful appearances. Mm-hmm. Which is what she. Felt like she was going through, 'cause she was always seen as this young, youthful, beautiful woman. Mm-hmm. Or beautiful person that now as she's aging, she's getting comments like mm-hmm. 

Oh, what happened? Yeah. What happened? You're old now. You're old now. Yeah. And that, that title actually was inspired by a comment from somebody on like her Instagram. Oh really? Yeah. I didn't know that. Yeah. Which she is like, wait a minute. Yeah. That sucks. Yeah, that sucks. That hurts. Yeah. No, I mean, she talked about, I think it was in the very beginning of the book, it was like, one of the things that captivated me, um, I, I'm gonna go by my memory here, but she says something that she read, uh, read a cover story by the American Psychological Association that monitors society, um, you know, behavior. 

And it said that ageism in America is one of the last socially acceptable prejudice. So I was like, well, I wonder what she means by that. 'cause everyone has maybe their own interpretation of what that could mean. So it captivated me and I kept reading and she says here that for example, uh, brands are dying to target 18 to 30-year-old age groups. 

Yet it is the women over 40 with the most purchasing power. Yet women over 40 are discarded as old women and no longer sexy or relevant yet we're the ones with the money and the wisdom, but yet we're discarded. And she's like, it doesn't, it just doesn't add up. It doesn't make sense. So I think that's how, when she started to get into her own beauty line and doing things for her own age group, and I think a lot of women over 50 are starting, like the famous women, like yeah, celebr of that are celebrities that are coming out with their own. 

Have you seen Eva Longoria? Wow. Shakira. Yeah, I mean, Nicole Kidman's almost 60, and she has not stopped working. Right? I mean, if anything, all of these Selma, Hayek, Naomi Watts, all of these women, they're well into their late forties, fifties, some of them touching 60, and I know there's celebrities, but back in the days you didn't see. 

Women that age on TV a lot, let alone be sexy. Right. And now I'm here like, oh wow. Like, so Hayek is sexy. Yeah. And that's pretty, and she's sharing her beauty intelligent on TikTok. Well spoken. She's funny. She's kind like. We're not dead guys. Right. You know, and I think she was on the cover of the Swimsuit magazine. 

Yeah, I know. Oh my God. Look at J-Lo. Yeah. I mean, come on. Like it's, it's an inspiration for our generation and even our younger like Gen Z. 'cause Gen Z is young. But lemme tell you, gen Z's catching up already. Like a lot of Gen Zs are in their late twenties now. Right. In 10 years, y'all are gonna be going through it, going through it. 

Harry, menopause, you know? Um, but no, I, it doesn't stop. It, it, it doesn't stop. And I just, I love it. I love seeing women our age saying, no, it's not over for us. We're still here. We still matter. And people like Brooke Shields are saying, fuck you, I'm still here. Let's go. Right. I know that we're not on their level 'cause they're, you know, yeah. 

They're celebrities. Yeah. They have the money, they have the power to do the things that, you know, we can't do. But I, I admire the fact that they're out there saying, mm-hmm. Fuck it. Yeah. We're in a time right now, right, where people are being a lot more outspoken than back in those days. Right? Yeah. 

Because even though we've had our opinions and our thoughts, I mean, of course there was a lot of controversy when, you know, those photos came out. But the problem back, the what compared from then till now, is that back then. People weren't talking about it, right. They were afraid to talk, to speak up to, you know. 

Speak up about what was going on behind closed doors today. People are not, right. Yeah. I mean, do you think that could have been because of the Me Too movement? Um, maybe. I think so. Maybe that could, that helped. That empowered that it empowered people. Yeah. Celebrities are, are talking about it too. Mm-hmm. 

I mean, the whole menopause, pre menopause stuff, I mean, nobody talked to me about it. Yeah. But we're talking about it openly now. Mm-hmm. Now it's an open conversation. Yeah. And it's. Refreshing, right. To be able to talk about these things. My, my daughters that are young, they're like, mom, I know more about menopause than I ever thought I would because I'm so open about it. 

Mm-hmm. And I'm like, well, yeah, I know you're in your twenties, so you're like, whatever. But you're gonna remember when you get there and you're gonna be grateful that mommy talked to you about these things. 'cause my mom didn't. Right. Right. You know, and so going, going back to Brooke Shields, you know, um. 

You brought up when her mom let her take those pictures at nine. Look Marita. I saw the doi I had to walk away. Mm-hmm. I had to take a a, I had to take a two minute break. I like. Forgive me for what I'm about to say, but I felt like saying, I wanna fuck that bitch up. Right? Like I want her to punch her mom in the tits of, okay, I found, I found it to be so fucking gross. 

You know? Yeah. I was very shocked by that. Yeah. And she got married and even the movie the, she was only 11 when she played in Pretty Baby. My God. There was a scene where they bring her in. On a on a cot, and men are holding her with like little fire lights. Mm-hmm. She's the virgin. And the virgin. They're gonna sell her off. 

Yeah. Yeah. Well that happened to her in real life when she was 20. Right. They were promoting her virginity too, which we can dive deep into that a little bit later in the show, but she's been going through this shit for how long. You know, and I, I just find like this is the stuff that, that would drive women to beco, become alcoholics, drug addicts, uh, get mental illness, depression, and the fact that she was able to overcome these things is, I, I find it fascinating. 

Yeah. She is. I, I'm in, in awe Yeah. Of who she is today after learning. Everything she went through. I mean, because I was a, I know I seen her in magazines and stories. Like I, I did watch Endless Love. I didn't watch any of her older stuff. That Pretty Baby never watched it. But The Endless Love I did and you know, I was young and it was like, oh, she's young. 

I'm young. Yay. But I didn't know. Of course, I didn't realize she went through all of that. Yeah. And then it was her mother. Yeah. That was behind me. I didn't see Endless Love, but I saw a Blue Lagoon. Uh, that was another one. I mean, it was, which is crazy. All these, all of them, all of the movies, all of the movies were about sexual sexualizing, this young girl. 

Right? I mean, there were news articles that came out when she was, um, nine, 10, and 11 years old. I wrote down, so I can quote what the newspapers said about Brooke Shields at this age so people can understand and let it sink in. Okay. So in the newspaper it said Brooke Shields, the 11-year-old child that drives grown men. 

Crazy. What in the actual, what the fuck? And the picture that they put of her, she was pubescent. Well, she has such a sexy body. What body? What body, bro? Right. She doesn't have anything. She doesn't have hair down there. She doesn't have titties. She doesn't have, she's a baby. Like what the, it's so always a different time. 

That's predator shit right now. Yeah. That is the like literally, it's gross. It's fucking gross. Yeah, it's fucking gross. And then. I remember in watching the documentary, I know we're supposed to be talking about the book, but it's just No, I have the documentary in my brain. I remember she was being interviewed by Barbara Baba, Wawa by Barbara Walters, and also many other journalists. 

And, um, you know, Barbara, she, she doesn't hold anything back. Right. And she was saying, you know, do you have any misgivings about her appearing in pre-baby? Do you not think that that's child exploitation? And she said no. Her mom said, no, not at all. And then she said, I spoke with the director and he promised that he would be sensitive to Brooke as far as the sexual scenes. 

We're talking about 11-year-old having sexual scenes to begin with. He said he would do it in good taste. In good taste, and she and Brooke Shield said that it was done in good taste. It wasn't a porno. Yeah. And she keeps repeating. She keeps repeating that and she keeps saying that to the very end. She continues to even say that to her own daughters, which means she was groomed. 

Yeah. So hardcore that at 60, she's still saying that shit. Yeah. You know, but here's the thing that her mom said that just like, I was just like, I, I had to like, pause it, walk away, take a breath, and then come back. Her mom literally said, Brooke Shields is like a work of art and like a beautiful painting. 

I think the world should enjoy Brooke and view her. Can I just say, fuck that bitch? Yeah, that's Oh yeah. Uhuh. Yeah. She should have got arrested. Yeah. I can't, that's crazy. 'cause now, I mean, today you would, yeah, today you, you probably would get arrested. Anyone interested in seeing a young child, like in that manner should be arrested. 

Mm-hmm. They should. Chop off their freaking balls. They don't belong in society. No, they don't. And, and I will die on a hill because that, that desire never goes away. Right. That's who they are. And they will, they will be like that for life. And to think it was her mom that it was allowing Yeah. And taking these, yeah, putting her, I mean, she was allowing it and putting her out there. 

Yeah. But I, you know, I may, I may be, this may be a little controversial what I'm gonna say, but even though I, I think that Brooke is in a better place and, and she is inspirational because of everything that she's overcome, I still think that she's not over this. I, I still think that there are certain things that she say that come across as a little bit like dangerous. 

It's, it's my personal opinion. I don't know if, if people are gonna agree with that, but, um, you know, till this day she says that she didn't feel uncomfortable, that she didn't feel embarrassed, that she didn't see it as something pornographic. Right. She saw it as work. She saw it as work and that's it. 

Okay. Mm-hmm. And I struggle a little bit to understand how Brook Shields at 60 years old can still say that and see it like, oh, it was a modeling, like it was a modeling job. Not understanding that this was a sexual exploitation by her own mother, right? Mm-hmm. And I can see her saying that when she was young. 

I can see her saying that when she was 20. I can see her even saying that when she was 30, but she's saying that at 60 and she's saying that in front of her daughters. So I think that not to judge her, I'm really not judging her. 'cause I love Brooke Shields and I think she's an inspiration, but I think that's something that she perhaps. 

It's not able to grasp for her, for herself. It could be a protection mechanism that she has put for herself to not go crazy by Britney Spears. Right. I was gonna say, some kind of protective mechanism for herself and her mom, because although her mom was the way she was, she was an alcoholic. Mm-hmm. She did put her out there like that, but. 

It was just her and her mom. They were all they had had. Right. And they had a close relationship. Right. It wasn't like they had, and I think her mom really did love her. Yeah, absolutely. Very, very much. Yeah. But she just had this warped way of seeing She had a goal, right. Yeah. My daughter's gonna be a star. 

Yeah. And you have to understand to be a star in the eighties, you are a fucking star because today you could be a TikTok star, you could be a YouTube star, you could be like a little independence, and you're, and you're legit. Like there's so many people that are famous. In the eighties it was 20, 30 people that were famous and they were fucking famous and everybody knew who you were. 

And that was, I mean, Brooke Shields and Michael Jackson. Yeah. The two of them together. That was crazy. You know, and even he kind of betrayed her too. Yeah. I read this book, um, it was basically a young girl being groomed and there was this quote that I thought of when I saw the documentary to be groomed is to be loved and handled like a precious, delicate thing. 

Hmm. Crazy. Do you think that she doesn't think she was groomed? I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think she thinks that. Yeah, I, I think she thinks exactly what she says, that it was work. Right. And I think so because she may, she doesn't wanna have, she loves her mother, right? Yeah. Right. And I think if you put it to that point where. 

My mom did me wrong. Then you start to question like, how can I love someone that did me wrong? Right? Mm. Well, you start to resent them, right? I actually feel really sad right now. I do. I feel really sad because I, I, I think we, we figured something out here between the three of us that I don't think she's, she's realized that I really don't, because I've seen her documentaries. 

I read her book and. That conversation that she had with her daughters, and at the end of the documentary in part two, I mean, literally her daughters were ripping. They're trying to tell her Yeah, they told her the same different thing and she just kind of had this like blank look on her face and she was like, no, but. 

You know, and then she turned it around and told her daughter, well, you do your tiktoks and you've posted yourself in a bikini. In a bikini. And what was it that her daughter responded? I was 16 and I chose to do that. That's right. She said, you didn't have a choice. Your mom had you doing all these things and you were nine. 

Nine. And naked. And naked. Mm-hmm. What did she say to that? And they didn't. She just found it interesting that her daughter had. The opinion that she had. She was like, oh, okay. She asked them, have they, they both said they never watched any of her movies and they won't. Honestly, I wouldn't watch my mom in that situation either. 

Mm-hmm. I don't wanna say that. Yeah, honestly. Now here's where you may get a little triggered. So trigger warning, we're gonna talk about, um, sexual assault, but ultimately she was sexually assaulted in her early twenties. And that part, I, I didn't know that happened to her, and I feel like the way she talks about it, I was like, that's all trauma of everything that she's gone through. 

For her to be able to say, well, I was, you know, I was flirting maybe, or I gave off the wrong signals. I did have a glass of wine. I, I did go up to the room. So, you know, that's probably why he thought he could have sex with me. But I did tell him no, but, and the whole time, and her who, I forgot who that man was. 

If it was her security guard, he was the security. Yeah, the security guard. It got very emotional. He was like, you were raped. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Even the girl that was, that she was speaking to in the documentary of that person, she, she made a comment. She was like, no, none of it's your fault. Like, no. Yeah, yeah. 

She, I think she still questions if that could have been a misinterpretation from her. Right. So that's what I'm saying. She's better now and she's in a better place. I still think that this is a part of her that has not truly healed. I don't think you can 100% heal from something like that. Mm-hmm. No carry with you. 

Especially, she did make a point where she, she learned to disassociate herself 'cause that when that happens to her. She said, 'cause I was good at that disassociating stuff. Oh, she sucked. I didn't realize that. Okay. 'cause for all the things that she had to do, you know, you put it behind like it's okay. 

This is like you said, this is just work. It's just work. So she was, she has that control to be able to stay. You kind of like disconnect. Yeah. To put it in a box. Right. And leave it there and move on to the next. Well, that makes sense because if you think about it, like when she kind of finally left her mom in a way and was able to get out of that control and in a way, loving, toxic mother daughter relat relationship. 

She married a husband who controlled. Control Just took the next Right. Took the job over. It was familiar. It was familiar. Yeah. It's, it's very interesting that, um, that this happened to her and that she, she realizes the, now she realizes that. Right. But at the time, if you're not healed, you do repeat the same pattern thinking that there's gonna be a different result. 

I think she's healed, but I, I still think she's maybe like, you know, trying to prevent hatred towards Right. Or, I agree with towards her family, towards her parents. She's trying not to paint this picture ugly, ugly picture of what happened. She's telling her story, which I think it's amazing. Yeah. And even more amazing that, you know, I feel like it's just powerful that she's, she's on the other side and she's doing. 

Good. You know what I mean? That she survived it. She survived it. She's in a happy marriage and she's in a happy marriage and she's talking about it. Two wonderful daughters. Yeah. That, you know, are doing great things, you know, like she's, and she's still doing great things. She is. And she's still pushing forward. 

Well, I mean, one of the, one of the great things that she did that a lot of women, you know, thank her for, I mean, she was one of the first women that really started talking about postpartum and the book is called, UH, down Came. The rain. And that really helped a a lot of people and she was like, look, I'm gonna write this book myself. 

I went through a really dark time when I had my first daughter and I find it interesting 'cause she's very candid in the documentary and she talks like, I mean, some of the things that she said, I don't think I would've would've said publicly, but she just felt like dark thoughts. Like she wanted to like maybe even borderline. 

Hurt her daughter. Yeah. Uh, yeah. She talked about, I didn't realize that postpartum could get to that level. I, I really didn't know that. Yeah. I'm, I'm not being ignorant. I just didn't know. So that's wonderful that she was able to write this book to be so open about it and help all these women. And then you got Tom Cruise. 

Oh, he bashed her. Yeah. Bashing her, telling you she don't know what, she shouldn't talk about taking medication. Like it's a good thing or whatever. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you wanna hear what he said? Yeah. She talks as a survivor, not a victim. Right. Well, she, well, she does say that that's what I think is powerful about her, right? 

Is that she talks, you know, like, not like a victim. You know what I mean? Like that's, to me is very powerful. It is. Do you mind if I play what Tom Cruise said about Brooke Shields? I've never agreed with psychiatry ever. Uh, before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry. And then when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I started realizing more and more why I didn't agree with psychiatry. 

And as far as the Brooke Shields thing is, look, you gotta understand, I really care about Brooke Shields. I, I think here's a, a, a wonderful and talented woman and, uh, I wanna see her do well. And I know that, uh, psychiatry is, is a pseudoscience, but, but Tom, if she said that this particular thing helped her feel better, whether it was the antidepressant or going to a counselor or a psychiatrist, isn't that enough? 

You have to understand this. Here we are today. Where I talk out against drugs and psychiatric abuses of electric shocking people. Mm-hmm. Okay. Against their will of drugging children with them not knowing the effects of these drugs. Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? 

Do you understand that the difference is, this was not against madam, but this against, I'm asking a question, madam asking a question. I understand there's abuse of all of these things. No. You see, here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do. Aren't there examples and might not Brook Shields be an example of someone who benefited from one of those drugs? 

All it does is mask the problem, Matt. Well, he's not a psychiatrist and he's not a doctor either. He's a Scientologist, which, but he's a Scientologist ologist. But what he does know is how to do a movie about aliens that he knows how to do. But what I found great is that Brook Shields said, Hey, the brook, the old brook shields would've cried, been embarrassed, and whatever. 

But I got pissed off. I found my voice. And I wrote a New York Times op-ed, and basically she ripped them a new one in the op-ed. And she basically said, I don't think anybody who doesn't have a uterus has a right to tell women who have had children and are struggling with this, what to do with their bodies. 

Right? And I was like, Bravo, Brooke. Mm-hmm. Bravo. Why? Why is a man making a comment? What does he know? Nothing. Nothing. Just keep doing movies about aliens and throwing yourself off of planes. Right. Just go, go do Mission impossible 57. 

Sorry, that was kind of funny. But he did end up apologizing to her. He did. Which, but did he have to, I mean, like, did they make him, you know what I mean? Like No, I think sincere. No, he, he went to her and, you know, was like, I'm sorry. Mm. I guess he realized he's an idiot. Idiot. I dumb. Fucked up. You are my neighbor. 

Yeah. And I like you. Yeah. But she went through a lot. Yeah, she did. And she's a voice for many women. She is. I related to a lot of the things that she's talked about in her book. Watching her documentary was just kind of like, wow. 'cause they talked a lot, uh, deeper about some of the stuff that happened to her. 

Like, you know, the sexual assault. Pretty baby. Yeah. That was the, the photos, they talk about that in the documentary and I, I'm surprised that they showed those photos in the documentary. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I mean, I know that they covered and blurred certain parts, but I, I wasn't, uh, expecting that and as a mom myself, granted my daughters are, are women now, but it doesn't matter. 

You, you just think. Like when you have your children, there is a nur. Most women, they feel the nurturing to protect and things like that, and maybe some don't, but they warm up to it like she was struggling and took medication and things like that. But I think the overall thing is, is that you wanna protect your kids. 

Yeah. So when it is your own mother, that's. Pushing it. Right. And that has to fuck you up. I'm sorry. It has to do something to you where you see the world with different glasses. Yeah. And I mean, I'm sure she taught her daughters differently, you know? Well, she was like, mom, would you let me do pretty baby? 

And she was like, no, no. It was like instant. No. And she was like, well, you see how fast she said no. Yeah, yeah. She was like, oh, but it, yeah, she still exactly. Making it like her mom didn't do anything so bad. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, and that's why I still feel like there's something She's protecting her. 

Yeah. She's protecting her, still protecting her mom. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is understandable. Mm-hmm. That was, they were, you know, that's all she knew is her mom. Right. You know, even when she said she left in pri to Princeton, um, she called her mom like four or five times a day. Mm-hmm. Like it was the separation anxiety thing and she'd. 

I woke up. Yeah. I go to class, come back from class. I'm back from class. You know, calling her mom just Oh, right. Like five times a day. Yeah. Like a play by play? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Okay. Just because, 'cause she wanted to talk to her mom all the time. She missed her mom, which I could see that. Yeah. But, um, she, luckily, she was glad that she did that. 

She, and then, you know, they said she took a break because she went to college. To college. But I didn't know that she was with Dean Kane. I know that was, wasn't he Superman? Yes. Very handsome. Very handsome. Very handsome. Well, when she was dating Dean Kane, Michael Jackson was saying she was his, his girlfriend. 

His girlfriend. That's my girlfriend. Yes. She's my girlfriend. We're gonna gonna adopt the baby together. Like Michael, you're gonna exploit her too. Come on now. He, he. Yeah. That's sad though, everybody. It is. Yeah. I just feel like everyone kind of just, yeah. Some way. Somehow people just constantly let her down. 

Then she did a movie after Princeton, which had nothing to do with sex. It wasn't sexual, it was more like, um, bombs and guns and Oh, that was a flop. An action, right? Yeah. Never heard of it. Never heard of it, yeah. Never heard of it. It flopped. Didn't even make big picture, but it's there. Mm-hmm. But yeah, that didn't work for her. 

No. Who knew that she was so funny, right? I mean, she's a funny lady and she ended up having like a pretty successful career on Broadway one, and then she did that one woman show, that one woman show that kept selling out, kept selling out, and you know, there was, I'm glad that you brought that up because there's a part that I remember where she said there were some songs and skits that I performed that I never really felt comfortable in, and I just was not looking forward to doing that. 

I wanted to change it, but I, I didn't think that I could. And then I realized, wait a minute. I can change it. It's my show and I'm paying for it and I'm footing the bill. Right. I'm changing it. Yeah. And she did. And she was happy and standing ovation. And I think that's one of, as an adult woman, she was like able to say, oh my God, I. 

I've always had to ask permission, whether it was my mom or director or a husband for my own life. Mm-hmm. And this time I made a change in a show. I asked no one permission, I just said, we're changing it because I said so. Mm-hmm. And it turned out great. Turned out, and it turned out great. And I love that part of the book. 

I remember reading that. I was like, go ahead, Brooke Shields. You know? So yeah. I know that there's some parts that we're talking about her that say, oh, she's still not, you know, healed yet. That's our personal opinion. But she has. Done leaps and bounds. Yeah. Into finding her own happiness, her own family, and being happy with her own life. 

Mm-hmm. And it's never too late to find, to find that happiness for yourself. Right. I like the, the part where she talks about the miscarriage. Right. And then she had that surgery she went in for Oh yes. A surgical procedure. Mm-hmm. For something. Mm-hmm. And vaginal. Yeah. The v the vulva thing. Mm-hmm. Right. 

'cause she was saying. Or is it labia? What are you talking about? She had, um, she had a doctor's appointment, her gynecologist, and she asked her, does this bother you? Has it ever bothered you? Okay. She said, yeah, you know, all my life, this has bothered me that, and she said, oh, well we can fix that. You don't have to live the. 

Through painful whatever. And so she's like, okay. So she agreed to that surgery. So the guy comes and he, the doctor does this surgery. Okay. And then she wakes up and he's like, I tightened you up a little bit too. Shut the fuck up. Without her permission, I went in there and did a, tightened you up. And she's like, uh. 

Okay. He goes, you know, 'cause you know, women having kids, it loosens things and this and that. And she's like, well, they weren't vaginal work. What? Yeah. And she had no idea. And she didn't know what to say. And she was just like, and like he's saying it, so he made it tight. Without her permission. Without her permission. 

And he's ex, he's like, I did you a favor. Mm-hmm. And attitude. Mm-hmm. Okay. So again, should she was. Exploited. Right, right. It never ends. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, it's like, it's like she was born to just be exploited. Yeah, yeah. Holy shit. Who does that? He did. He did. And then she didn't like feel, she, she didn't wanna like call him out or sue him or get, 'cause then she didn't wanna be put in the limelight for that either, you know, personal, right. 

So, so you have to let it go. Right. It's like, motherfucker, let me tighten you up a little bit. Can you imagine. And then, yeah, and then she talked about having a procedure done, um, something with the maybe endometriosis type of thing, and they, something with scar tissue. I don't know. She had a procedure done and that was, that moved on years later. 

She's trying to have kids and it's not working. The in vitro they couldn't get passed and she's like, oh, I don't know what's going on. But then her doctor's like, oh, well you, let's check this out. Oh, well you had this procedure done. Well, this can cause da, da da. Oh. And he, she's like, well, that would've been nice to know. 

Yeah. She's like, well, the doctor should have told you that. The male doctor did not tell her that. Wow. Aww, Otis. I don remember that part. Yeah. Yeah. She's like, but if you're having a, a, if the male's having a problem and he has to get surgery for something, I'm sure he'll tell him, your sperm count's gonna be lighter, your manhood might be changed. 

Mm-hmm. But for a female, the male doctor didn't think it was important to advise her. You'll have problems or trouble. Mm-hmm. Getting pregnant. That's, she been, she's been through a lot. That girl, she's been through a lot of shit. Yeah. She has, she's been through a lot of things. She has, when she say her, um, she passed out in a restaurant and her BFF, Matthew McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey came to the rescue. 

She woke up to see him. Did she, she woke up from being passed out and it was his. Okay. And, you know, they were putting her in the ambulance and stuff, but it was funny. She's like, Matthew McConaughey my angel. All right, all right, all right, all right. Right. I thought of you when you, when I, when I love him. 

I hope, I hope he's, I, he gives me the feeling that he's just a good guy. Yeah. He loves his wife. He loves his family. Yeah. He's handsome. You know, so I just hold and pray that never one day we're gonna be, Matthew McConaughey did this and didn't. Yeah. Because like, you know, you ne you never really hear anything negative. 

We really don't know these people. Of course we don't in both stores. Right. I know, but that's like one guy that, that I genuinely like as an actor and I think he's like a cool dude, you know? And I just hope that, um, you don't hear anything bad. Yeah. Yeah. I hope. Good thoughts? Good thought. Please, please, Matthew be a good person. 

But then, um, it came out that she was low on sodium. The doctors are like, are you cutting back on? Like, is this a diet thing? Like, are you not eating pro? Like she was like, what? Yeah. No, and it was something that she had that it was doing that to her. Wow. But real quick to be like, right, because she is who she is. 

Yeah. Are you choosing to do this yourself? Yeah. Are you choosing to do to yourself? Was there anything in the book that you didn't like? I mean, I think there were certain chapters that were a little bit repetitive. Um, so I was kind of getting a little, like, I'm, this is a book club, right? So we're talking about the truth. 

Yeah. Yeah. There were some parts that I just felt were like, she kept talking about things that maybe we had already read in other books or seen in, I don't know. I just felt like some things were a little repetitive, but she was able to scale it back and get back to the point. Um, so I, I did, I thought it was a good book and an inspirational book, and I feel like a lot of women will read this. 

I don't know if they're gonna resonate it because she's gone through some shit. I mean, I'm not gonna say people are gonna know what it is to be taken advantage of like that, but I think the takeaway can be that there is a way to overcome many traumas and come out winning at the end. Yeah, and that's what I liked about the book and the documentary. 

The documentary left me troubled. It's different. The book inspired me. The documentary made me cry shock. The documentary made me upset. It made me angry. It made me want to like fuck her mom up, honestly. Like I wanted to just beat her mother up, you know? And I mean, her mom was a raging alcoholic. I didn't realize. 

How bad it was. Yeah. Do you think that had a role in her making these stupid decisions? I'm sure I'm, I'm sure it desensitized her. I was gonna say, you know, yeah. That, yeah. It's like no big deal. Right. Well, that, you know what alcohol does is it gives you that, it numbs you. I don't care. Yeah. Like you don't care about the decisions you're making. 

Those decisions get easier to make if you're under the influence. Yeah. And if she was a raging alcoholic, do you think she was an alcoholic at that time? From as early as nine years old? Well, if she wasn't and she became an alcoholic afterwards, then there's probably some guilt there. Oh, that's why Mar, that's a good point. 

Sometimes. I mean, if you weren't, I don't know at what point she started drinking. Yeah. So either you're drinking, specify. Yeah. You're drinking and the decisions are easier for you to make because you, well, mom was before you drink after and there's some guilt. Marissa, that's a good point because I think she started really showing her alcoholism after pretty baby. 

I don't know. I don't know when it started. She had already, because they don't specify. When she started, when she doesn't specify when she starts, she doesn't specify when her mom started. Well, the reason I say that is because there were news articles that came out after Pretty Baby where they were saying, oh, we see Brook Shield's mom. 

She looks disheveled. She has bags under her eyes. She's drinking a lot, but she didn't look like that while the movie was being filmed. So there could be a correlation there. Maybe, like you said, you feel guilt or shame and it numbs you. I mean, you have to because she's putting her daughter through these things. 

People were writing articles and you know, there was a lot of controversy with the movie and it's not like nobody was not saying anything, but as a mother guilt, she felt if she's over here saying, oh, my daughter's a work of art, and well, everyone should view you gotta, you gotta put on a face found guilty. 

Well, you gotta put on a face for when you're being interviewed. I mean. Everybody lies. Yeah, but you don't gotta say that. You could, you could, you gotta make yourself look good. Yeah. But how do you say that? How do you say that again? No, I completely understand. I completely agree with you. Yeah. Yeah. But you're in, you know, this celebrity thing and you know you're putting your daughter out there. 

I mean, she's not gonna make herself look bad. And being a celebrity in the eighties was not, is not the same as being a celebrity in 2025. It's not, and people were like celebrities were getting away. Directors behind the scenes. The people with power, the people with money, the studios and the shit that they were doing that they freaking got away with today. 

I am sure that they're still doing shit like that. Oh yeah. But they're getting caught. I mean, look at, look at Diddy and now I'm changing the subject, but everyone eventually is getting caught now. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. But she wasn't friends with Diddy. She was not. She was not. She was not at the white party. 

You know, when she was, uh, when she turned 60, she was being interviewed on the red carpet by someone. I'm not sure who it was, but, um, I don't know. I saved it here and I thought it would be really nice for the listeners to hear, um, what she had to say. What has this momentous birthday meant to you? Freedom. 

Yeah. Like, I feel so lucky to still be here, to be on a red carpet and have people even invite me. I got great kids. Yes, they like me. They wanna be around me. I'm still working. Is it, I just feel, I feel like, uh, it's just beginning for me. So I like that she said that at 60, she ended it by saying, I feel like it's just beginning for me. 

And I wanted to end. Not that we're ending the show, but I, I at least wanted to end what we're talking about Brooke Shields, because we're going, you know, a little bit dark and also inspirational. It's like we're flip-flopping back and forth. 'cause this is a tough one. This is a tough one to talk about, but she's feeling like she's. 

Beginning at 16. I think that's a beautiful thing. Well, that's what the book is about, I mean. Mm-hmm. For me, at least, that's what I took from the book. Not nothing. Yes, there was a lot of negative things that happened to her as she was growing up, but for me, I didn't like the way she just talked about it. 

She talked about it like, not in this victim way, you know, but, um, for me the book was like, inspirational, you know, just talking about her aging, embracing it, um, making new friends at a later age, making best friends at a later age. And exactly what she said in that interview. Yeah. I mean, at this point she feels free. 

Yeah. And it, and you know, not to change the subject, but making friends at a later age is. So damn hard. You know, there's a lot of women that their friends drop off. Yeah. That chapter I, I definitely relate to that chapter. Yeah. It's a power. You wanna talk a little bit about that? Because I think, well, you know, it's a powerful thing because that's why I'm talking about it. 

'cause like, you'd be surprised how many women say I don't have friends. I want friends, but it, it's too late for me to make friends. I'm 50 years old and the people that I used to be friends with, they moved or we don't have things in common. Mm-hmm. Or they got married and had kids and I didn't have kids or vice versa. 

And, and our lives are so different and I'm lonely. And then they wanna make friends and they're like, how do you make friends at this? Age. It's not easy. It's not easy. It's not. And I wish that there was something that all of us at this age could say, Hey, let's do this and let's do that. But it's really difficult to make friends. 

You really make your friendships when you're very little. Well, I think when you're young, when, when you are young, when you're older, I think too, it's, and the standards are different. It's different, right? It's different. And also unintentionally, we have these standards that we set for ourselves at this age where, I don't know if you guys do it, but sometimes I do meet new people. 

Just in that, that initial conversation that I have with them. I don't wanna say that I'm judging them. I'm just, in my mind, I guess I'm, I'm just scanning through are we compatible, really? Like, is this person somebody that I can hang out with? I don't know. I do this at, at this age because there are sometimes I, I run into people and I'm like, yeah, I mean we're just, don't have any similarities and it just doesn't go any further than that. 

Mm-hmm. So, I mean, she talked about that in the book. How do you know if you don't actually give it a chance? You don't, but I, yes, I, yeah. But when you're young, guilty, I'm guilty in doing that. When you're young, you, you, you give them the chance. You're like, oh, well, yeah, she, she was mean to me, but she's my friend. 

Right? Yeah. Versus now that bitch, like, that bitch was mean to me. Like, I ain't fucking ever talking to her again. But that's why she's, um, basically saying, embracing it and be empowering herself, herself, empowering herself. Mm-hmm. Just not care. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, I think making friends at this age is possible. 

You just have to Absolutely. Push yourself to be open to it. Yeah. Do things that you normally wouldn't do. Try new things. Yeah. Try new things. Hang out with new people. Yeah. You know, well, you're not gonna make friends if you don't leave the house. Right, right. What if you don't wanna leave the house? Well then you ain't gonna make no friends. 

You're not gonna make no friends. Like, listen, I'm not trying to be funny, but it's like you have to get out of your comfort zone. You gotta, you gotta take a shower, you gotta do your hair, you gotta get dressed, you gotta put a little makeup on and you gotta go out there and you gotta like mingle. That's if you want to mingle, if you wanna make friends. 

Maritza. But who said I wanted to make friends? I'm not saying you girl. You said it was hard, so, okay. Well it is, but um, she brings up a good point in the book. Um, she talks about when you've had a group of friends, for instance, we've been friends for so long, I've been friends with you guys since middle school. 

Mm-hmm. So you have, and I've met and I've met new people along the way too. I have new friends, new people in my life that I have. Created a bond with, and these are my people, so I have my circle of friends. So she even talks about this in the chapter where when you have this circle of friends for so long, making friends outside of that group is hard because you, what you end up doing is comparing that new friendship to this circle of, you know, familiar friends that you have. 

So it's a, I mean, I can relate to that. I, I mean, listen, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. I, I do have some friends that are outside of my circle, but I know my circle. My circle is deep. Okay. Those are the, those are my, you are my circle. Like you guys are my circle and, and a couple more. And, um, so I get it. So when I meet new people, I am, I'll be honest, I am interested in getting to, to know them. 

I think that's really important. I do like to hear new stories and. New personalities, but I'm like cautious 'cause I'm like, uh, is this someone that can come into my home, into my circle that is, has good intentions that that genuinely wants to be my friend and I'm just a regular girl. Imagine somebody like Brooke Shields that is so famous and maybe is. 

Thinking about this, and she's like, does this person really even wanna be my real friend? Right. Is it just because I'm Brooke Shields? Right. You, you hear what I'm saying? But it is, it is a, it is a phenomenon. It is something that is, I would love to talk about on another podcast. Mm-hmm. Uh, maybe this is not the right one, but it is a thing that there's a, a big loneliness in women is. 

Especially when they get divorced, because let's be honest here. Mm-hmm. You have people getting divorced and you have mutual friends. Yeah. I know somebody who was married for. Gosh, like 13, 14 years they got divorced and they confided in me and said, not only did we lose friends, but I felt like I also lost a big portion of my family because I was so close to so many family members from his side. 

Right. And they no longer speak to me. So it's, it's. It happens a lot more than you think. The loneliness. Yes. I know. We're kind of changing the subject. Well, she talks, she had a chapter in the book, but she talks about that. Yeah. She talks about friendship and I think we should, I think we should talk about that. 

I think we, we should dive deep into that in the future as we should. Also, the complexities of female friendships. Mm-hmm. Of the beauty of it and the complexities of it and how to make new friends. I think that would be something that our listeners, especially because of our demographic, would love to hear like great suggestions. 

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She had a lot of great points in her. She did in her book. Yeah. It was a good book. I would recommend it. I would recommend it too. People of our age, I did the audio and she's the one reading it. Yeah. So I enjoyed that very much. Yeah, I did too. As a matter of fact. Um, I would love to give a book away. 

What do you guys think? Sure. So, uh, I think we should make it a little more challenging to win one of our giveaways 'cause we've been pretty easy with our giveaways. So this one is, you have to leave. Uh, well, I don't know if you, you ladies agree with me, but I think maybe. Leaving us a comment on this particular episode on Spotify, sharing our story of, um, marketing of this particular episode and leaving a comment under our Instagram. 

I agree. That's a good idea. Yeah, it's three. I know it's three, but like, comment, listen, we give good gifts. We give like we do listen, we give good gifts, so we would really appreciate the support and we will be giving you a copy of Brooke Shields is not allowed. To get old. And with that said, since you're in our virtual book club, if you've hung in there and the whole time, that means you like us. 

Okay? Yeah, we have a third book. Monica, take it away. The next book we're gonna read is, I'm Glad my Mom Died. Jesus by Jeanette. Ouch. McCurdy. Oh my God. I thought it was gonna be a book about, you know, hanky Pinky. What? No, this one's a By who? I'm sorry. Can you repeat that by Jeanette McCurdy. Okay. Oh my goodness. 

Yeah. Is that the girl from Nickelodeon? Yes. And I'm very think I know, I know. Oh, she was the one that did with Ariana Grande Cat. And she did Cat in something? No, no. She was, am I wrong? She was in, um, the blonde, the funny one. Yeah. But it was, she did I, Carly iCarly, but she did one with Ariana Grande too. I can't remember the name of the show. 

Wow. So what's the book called again? I'm glad my mom died. That's wow. Yeah. So I'm, I'm, I'm interested. Very intrigued. I'm interested. Okay. Okay. Well that's our third book and obviously we're gonna do a podcast about that. So if you want to be part, gonna get deep part of our, it's gonna get deep. It's gonna get deep ladies. 

Um, so I hope that, uh, you will join us for that. So thank you so much for tuning into Red Lips Reel Talk and listening to our podcast. Diving deep on Brooke Shields. I hope that she has been not only an inspiration for you to better yourself through any types of traumas and trials and tribulations, but to also. 

Believe in yourself, and I want everyone to remember that beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. Aw. Like Coco Chanel said. That's really nice. That's a great way to end this show. Thank you so much for listening, and as always, 

thank you for listening. Make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss an episode. We will be dropping an episode. Every two weeks. Oh yeah. No, like seriously subscribe now. So just chill to the next episode. Follow us on Insta and TikTok.