What happened to Teri Shields? All about Brooke Shields' parents as Pretty Baby actor talks emotional abuse in Hulu documentary

Brooke Shields suddenly jumped back into the conversation after the release of Hulu's two-part documentary covering the life of the famed actress, who rose to prominence before understanding what it was and remained a symbol of beauty and exploitation for decades to come. Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields covers most of the abuse, exploitation, and dark Hollywood minds that young Brooke had to face in the industry from the mere age of 11.

The heartbreaking story of Shields' past and the revelation of such a dark side of the industry were enough to shake most people up. The docuseries also explored Brooke Shields' relationship with her parents, especially her mother Teri Shields, who also worked as her manager for the majority of her early career. She reportedly fired her mother later due to the latter's developing alcohol problems.

Though Brooke has mostly spoken fondly about her mother, despite many criticizing the woman for selling out her daughter from a very young age as eye candy to the male gaze. Brooke, however, remarked about the emotional abuse she faced due to her mother's alcoholism in the recent documentary. She said:

"You never know what to expect with an alcoholic...It wasn't abusive, but it was emotionally abusive because I felt sort of abandoned every time she wasn't herself."

She also maintained a cordial relationship with her father, who did not live with them.

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Who are Brooke Shields' parents?

Brooke Shields was born to Teri and Frank Shields in Manhattan, New York, on May 31, 1965. Her parents divorced when she was only five months old. She was primarily raised by Teri, who eventually began to exploit her daughter's beauty as she turned older.

Brooke's father moved out, got married, and had other kids. She often visited her father and stepsisters. Her relationship with both her parents seemed solid, but the media and people outside often called out Teri Shields for the rapid s*xualization of Brooke when she was still very young.

Brooke was only 11 when she had her first on-screen kiss. Her love-making scenes had to be directed differently because she did not know about ecstasy or the feeling of s*xual fulfillment. Her roles in Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby, and Endless Love were all deemed too controversial.

Though the public felt negatively about Teri's grasp over Brooke Shields' career and her blatant manipulation of her daughter's beauty, Brooke almost always spoke on behalf of her mother. She said in the documentary:

"All you want to do is love your parent and keep them alive forever, and so I wanted to protect her...And by virtue of protecting her, I was justifying everything, and that solidified that bond between us."

She also praised her mother in a statement after she died in 2012, saying:

"My mother was an enormous part of my life and of who I am today...“I loved her, laughed with her, and respected her. And although she had her share of struggles, she was my mom."

Brooke even wrote a book about the mother after she passed away from dementia. Her relationship with her father was always smooth as well.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields has revealed many new facts about the actress and model. It is now streaming on Hulu.