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Brooke Shields reveals major battle she fought with 17-year-old daughter Grier

The Blue Lagoon star had to set down ground rules

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Faye James
Senior Editor
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Brooke Shields, 58, finds herself in familiar territory as her youngest daughter, Grier Hammond Henchy, sets her sights on the fashion runway, a world that the actress knows all too well.

However, the experience isn't without its challenges, as Brooke disclosed in a recent interview on Live with Kelly and Mark. "The rules have changed since I was [a model],” she explained, “I fought it for so long. It’s such a different industry now than it was.”

While Brooke never graced the runway herself, a dream her 17-year-old daughter aspires to, she's no stranger to the trials and tribulations of the modelling industry having appeared in countless modelling campaigns and magazine covers. 

“That’s brutal and backstage is just brutal,” she candidly admitted. And though she initially harboured doubts about her daughter entering the demanding fashion world, Brooke has given her blessing - but not without setting a few ground rules.

brooke shields and daughter grier henchy pretty baby screening nyc 2023
Brooke Shields and daughter Grier Henchy

SEE: Brooke Shields has fans doing a triple take with stunning family photo

MORE: Brooke Shields stuns in new red hot swimsuit video

“I finally had to 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. You’re going to have a great work ethic. It’s not going to be comfortable and you're gonna listen to me,” were the words of wisdom she offered her daughter, Grier.

And there's one non-negotiable: The Blue Lagoon star insists that her daughter must continue her college education. Brooke, who shares Grier and her older sister Rowan Frances Henchy, 20, with husband Chris Henchy, remembers her own modelling journey with her mother, Teri Shields, as her manager and guiding star. 

The protective mother-daughter duo formed an unbreakable bond in the tough industry, a fact that Brooke cherishes. “My mom was my manager and we were glued at the hip, which probably was how I could survive because you couldn’t get to me. She was such a mama bear and so protective. On the one hand I was very naive and on the other I was just thrown into this crazy world."

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Brooke with her daughters

Now, she finds herself in her mother's shoes, supporting Grier as she steps into the world of modelling. But Brooke is also cautious about her daughter's decision, keenly aware that the world of glamour and fashion can be a battlefield requiring resilience and enduring spirit.

Her concerns are not unfounded, as she herself experienced a distressing sexual assault by a high-profile Hollywood executive during her younger years in modelling and acting. It's an incident that has left a lasting impact on Shields and one she addressed in her two-part documentary, Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby.

WATCH: Pretty Baby trailer

"Doing the documentary, you see it all together, and it's a miracle that I survived," she shared with PEOPLE. "It's taken me a long time to process it. I'm more angry now than I was able to be then. If you're afraid, you're rightfully so. They are scary situations. They don't have to be violent to be scary."

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