Brooke Shields’ Youngest Daughter Describes Feeling ‘Helpless’ Over Mom’s Vulnerable Admission

The 2023 documentary Pretty Baby included multiple revelations about its subject, Brooke Shields , that came as a shock to many viewers—including her own daughter.

In a new interview with People , Shields opened up about how her daughters— Rowan , 21, and Grier , 18—reacted to the film, particularly the disclosure that the 59-year-old former model had been sexually assaulted by an unnamed Hollywood figure when she was in her early 20s. Apparently, while Rowan was already aware of incident, Grier was not.

“I didn’t prepare her,” Shields admitted, calling it a "miscommunication."

"I had explained it was an exploration of sexualization of women in my industry but I was naively thinking that because we had such a solid, healthy, fairly normal existence and I’m not completely damaged that she would say, ‘Wow you’ve come through a lot but look where we are today,’” she continued.

Unfortunately, her younger daughter had a difficult time processing the information and "couldn't even get through” the premiere. “I was learning about things the same time that the world was and I just took it more deeply and personally,” Grier said.

Related: Brooke Shields Supported by Daughter in Rare Family Photo at Documentary Premiere

“I told her 'but there’s a happy ending,'" Shields recounted, "and she said, ‘I will never be okay with thinking something bad happened to you.’”

"She ended up missing the happy part," she added. "She felt helpless, and just as a mom, we make mistakes and sometimes we make assumptions.”

For Shields, who shares Rowan and Grier with her husband, comedy writer Chris Henchy , the experience of showing the doc to her daughters was an eye-opener.

“To see the documentary or to see your parents as a public figure that other people have opinions on is just an odd situation. I’ve learned a lot by listening to them," she concluded.

Next: Brooke Shields Breaks Down in Tears While Sharing New Life Update