Resurfaced magazine clippings of Brooke Shields as a pre-teen are reigniting uncomfortable questions about how she was portrayed at the start of her career.
The unearthed material shows the young star being described in ways many now view as inappropriate, including comments that framed her as having “the face of a gorgeous woman” and the ability to drive men “crazy.” The renewed attention also brings fresh scrutiny to her controversial Calvin Klein campaign, which Shields has since said she didn’t fully understand at the time.
For decades, Shields has been linked to a complicated mix of innocence and provocation, particularly after starring in the 1978 film “Pretty Baby.” In the movie, she played a child living in a 1917 New Orleans brothel, a role that drew intense scrutiny, given she was just 12 years old at the time.
That scrutiny only intensified in the early ’80s, when a 15-year-old Shields fronted a controversial Calvin Klein jeans campaign. The ad featured the now-infamous line, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” Many interpreted this as a sexual innuendo, suggesting she wasn’t wearing underwear, which sparked widespread backlash.
Resurfaced Magazine Clippings Paint An Even Darker Picture
Resurfaced magazine features are shedding new light on how Shields was portrayed as a child at the height of her early fame.
In a widely shared excerpt of the clippings on Reddit, a writer described being “shocked by the child who drives men crazy,” while also labeling her an “up-and-coming fast sex symbol.” Another headline referred to her as “America’s Newest Sexy Kid Star” while promoting her role in “Pretty Baby.”
A separate feature went even further, calling Shields the “world’s youngest sex symbol” and remarking that the then-12-year-old had “the body of a child and the face of a gorgeous woman.”
Online Reactions Condemn Brooke Shields Coverage
The resurfaced material has drawn strong reactions online, with many questioning how such coverage was ever approved in the first place.
“The words ‘sexy’ and ‘kid’ should never appear in the same sentence. What the f–k was that?” one Reddit user wrote.
Another commenter argued that those responsible for publishing such headlines should be held accountable, calling the coverage “abhorrent” and suggesting it crossed into exploitation.
A third added, “Goodness, she came out alive and still intact. The poor girl was exploited. Horrible parents/mother.”
Shields Reflects On Controversial Calvin Klein Ad
In a 2021 interview with Vogue, Shields looked back on her role in the controversial Calvin Klein campaign directed by Richard Avedon, revealing that the brand had initially approached her mother.
“She was like, ‘Do you want to put on these jeans and do this commercial?’” Shields recalled.
At the time, she said she didn’t fully grasp the significance of the brand, but was excited by the opportunity to work with Avedon, whose creative vision appealed to her. She also described the shoot as demanding, requiring numerous takes and precise direction.
“Nobody was allowed on set,” she said. “Because it was Avedon’s first foray into the commercial world, I think he was pretty nervous. Stakes were pretty high, and I think there was a lot of pressure. We did multiple, multiple takes of everything.”
Brooke Shields Admits She Didn’t Anticipate The Backlash
Shields has since admitted she wasn’t prepared for the intense backlash and media scrutiny that followed the campaign, explaining that she never viewed the now-infamous tagline as suggestive at the time.
“I was away when they came out, and then I started hearing that the commercials were being banned,” she recalled. “The paparazzi would scream at me and my mother, ‘How could you!’ It just struck me as so ridiculous.”
Shields added that she didn’t interpret the ad as sexual, describing herself as “naive” and far less aware than people assumed.
“I didn’t think it was about underwear or sexual in nature,” the actress said. “I think the assumption was that I was much more savvy than I ever really was. I was a virgin, and I was a virgin forever after that.”
Despite the controversy, Shields noted that the campaign ultimately proved successful.
“The controversy backfired. The campaign was extremely successful, and then the underwear overtook the jeans,” she said. “[Calvin Klein] understood how to push the envelope. It set the tone for decades.”
