Brooke Shields Fled to Dad’s Home to Eat Properly While Mom Called Her ‘Fat’ after Making Her a Model

• Brooke Shields' parents parted ways a few months after her birth.
• The actress lived with her mother, Teri Shields, who called her "fat." She recalled when she begged Teri to let her eat a sweet snack.
• Brooke lived a different life at her father's place, where she had proper meals and didn't worry about her career.

Brooke Shields started her career as a child star and soon gained popularity because of her good looks. One of her notable roles was in the 1978 movie "Pretty Baby," where she was only 12 years old.

Her fans know her for her acting skills, but only some are aware of her eventful childhood. Born in Manhattan, New York, on May 21, 1965, to Teri and Frank Shields, Brooke grew up watching her parents live separately.

In her book, "There Was a Little Girl: The Real Story of My Mother and Me," Brooke opened up about how her parents parted ways. She revealed that Teri met Frank, conceived Brooke, tied the knot, and then got divorced after giving birth — and all this in a year.

Brooke was only a few months old when her parents parted ways, and her father tied the knot with Diana "Didi" Lippert four years after his divorce. He welcomed three babies from his second marriage.

The "Endless Love" actress opened up about the differences between her parents, stating that her father wanted a girl, while her mother wished to have a baby boy. When Brooke was born, Frank was delighted and told his wife, "We have a perfectly formed baby girl."

Teri thought her husband was lucky because he always got what he wanted. However, when it was time to name the baby, Teri ensured it was done her way. She named her daughter after Christian Brooks, a photographer who had captured a photo that Teri liked. Meanwhile, Frank wanted to name the baby after his mother.

In her book, Brooke revealed that her mother stopped talking to her father and didn't even want to see him. By doing so, Teri hoped she would make her husband realize he was incomplete without her, but the couple parted ways forever. After the divorce, Teri became a single parent while Frank fathered three of his own children and became a stepdad to his new wife's children.

Brooke Begged Her Mother to Let Her Eat Cake While Being Called "Fat"

As Brooke grew up, she turned into a beautiful girl because of her attractive features. As a teenager, Brooke started modeling for multiple brands, sometimes acting in adverts that were not appropriate for her age, while her mother was her manager.

Understanding how Brooke's looks could help her build a successful career in the acting and modeling industry, Teri encouraged her daughter to act and model, despite knowing that some advertisements and movie roles were unsuitable for her teenage daughter.

"She had this baby that looked this way, and that's how we survived," Brooke recalled, revealing that her career as a child model helped them with their finances. She became so famous as a teenager that a doll with her name was launched.

"I was a cover girl, not a supermodel. I was 'neck up' – the face, the eyebrows – and I was always described as 'athletic;' 'not rail-thin;' 'not a runway model,'" Brooke confessed in an interview, saying that those remarks took a toll on her mental health.

At home, Teri, who had a drinking problem, constantly told Brooke she was "fat," making the then-young actress insecure about her physique. In her book, she recalled one instant from her childhood when she "begged" Teri to let her have Devil Dogs.

Craving for the sweet snack, Brooke "cried, pleaded, and threw a tantrum" so her mother would let her have it. She recounted that Teri asked her to have twelve Devil Dogs, and the young girl agreed.

Feeling happy that her mother allowed her to have so much junk food for dinner, Brooke began eating the sweet snack but stopped while having the third one because she had started to feel sick.

Brooke Lived a Calm Life with Her Father and Had Proper Meals

Living with her mother, Brooke didn't know what it meant to live in a house with rules and a proper routine until she spent time at her father's place. He lived with his wife and children, and Brooke described his family as "conservative" and affluent."

The environment at her father's place was the complete opposite of what she witnessed in her mother's apartment. Brooke had regular meals at his place while living with her mother was a completely different experience.

Brooke was appreciated for working as a model at her mother's place, but her father didn't encourage her to pursue modeling. "My dad was just in absolute denial about it," she revealed in an interview.

Because of the difference in the acceptance of her career at her mother's and father's place, Brooke felt she "lived two entirely different existences." However, she shared a good bond with her father despite his discomfort with her fame.

The actress spent most of her time with her mother. In her book, she stated that she had never lived apart from Teri until she was in rehab because of her drinking problem. The then-young Brooke felt scared when her mother said mean things after getting drunk.

Besides having a successful career in the entertainment industry, Brooke did well academically. She attended school in New York and graduated from high school in New Jersey before joining Princeton University, which made her father immensely proud of her.

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