Brooke Shields says in new documentary that she was sexually assaulted in her early 20s
"I would like people to be able to find their story within this story."
Brooke Shields opens up more than ever in her new documentary, particularly on a time in her early 20s when she says she was sexually assaulted.
In the new two-part documentary "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields," produced by ABC News Studios with George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth's BedBy8 production company, Shields said she was attacked by an unnamed Hollywood professional.
In the documentary, the actress claimed the man lured her to his hotel room. "He said, 'Come back to the hotel and I'll call a cab… And I go up to the hotel room, and he disappears for awhile," she recounted.
Shields claimed the unnamed man then appeared, naked, and attacked her, forcing himself on her.
"It was like wrestling… I was afraid I would get choked out or something, I didn't know," she said in the documentary. "I played the scene out in my head, so I didn't fight that much. ... I just absolutely froze. I just thought, 'Stay alive and get out.'"
At the premiere of the documentary at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival over the weekend, Shields spoke about the impact of therapy in her healing journey.
"If I hadn’t done as much therapy as I have over the last 40 plus years, I think that it might have affected me," she said. "But I’ve done so much of the hard work that nothing was too difficult for me."
Shields previously spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how therapy has influenced her ability to open up on the alleged incident.
"I did not know if or when or if at all I was ever going to bring this up," she said when asked about her alleged assault. "I definitely have worked very hard through it, and I’ve learned to process it. And I’ve come to a place, and we’ve come to a time in our society, where we can talk about these things much more openly."
Shields said at the documentary's premiere over the weekend that she hopes opening up on her own story can touch others. "I think that I would like people to be able to find their story within this story," she said.
The documentary, directed by Lana Wilson, focuses largely on the sexualization and exploitation that Shields says she faced in her early career. It features previously unseen archival work from her career.
"Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields" is coming soon to Hulu.
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