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Ever since the 1970s,Brooke Shieldshas been a household name.

Since then, Shields has continued to work consistently as an actress and model.

Brooke Shields

These days, Shields is as busy as ever both on screen and off.

These days, Shields is old enough to understand the complexities of her first big role.

In fact, she’s actually still incredibly proud of her work in the movie.

Brooke Shields in “Pretty Baby”

“I never once felt taken advantage of or victimized,” she said.

“All of that came after in the press.”

In fact, her mother was also her manager.

Brooke Shields in the ’80s

As Shields toldUSA Today, she and her mother had a super close relationship.

“The love was so intense.

She came before anybody.

Young Brooke Shields in a hat

I thought she was God, I thought she could change the weather.

It was us against the world,” Shields recalled.

Nevertheless, her mother’s struggle with alcoholism made their relationship difficult.

Brooke Shields working out

It’s clear that the relationship has defined Shields' life even more than her own stardom has.

“The movie business kept me afloat and sane.

My mother’s drinking superseded my stardom,” she wrote (via theIndependent).

Brooke Shields and Michael Jackson

As she explained toSheKnows, her passion for fitness began when she was young.

“And I didn’t I was never that person.

I was always athletic, I was always someone who was working really hard.”

Brooke Shields with baby daughter

It sounds like fitness came naturally to her.

However, it took the star several years before she found a truly healthy exercise routine.

At first, she was a little too strict and regimented with her routines.

Brooke Shields posing by a painting

When she reached her 40s, the star finally relaxed a little.

And in my life, I had thought that that was it.

I needed to be perfect," she explained to SheKnows.

Brooke Shields in an interview

Sounds like Shields finally found a healthy way to stay fit!

She was in the middle of a two-week fitness challenge and working on several projects.

However, all of that changed in an instant when she had a freak accident at the gym.

Young Brooke Shields smiling

“I was just screaming,” Shields recalled.

After several surgeries and an infection, Shields began along recovery processthat involved physiotherapy and massage.

Even thoughShields' recoverywas slow and painful, she did take some positives away from the experience.

Brooke Shields posing for a photo

And, clearly, she is!

One of her best friends was none other than Michael Jackson.

As she explained on the “Jim and Sam Show,” she was 13 when she met him.

A selfie of Brooke Shields

“We were kids together,” she explained, recalling that their relationship was always innocent and childlike.

According to Shields, they remained close and supportive friends for years.

He helped her get through her father’s death and supported her during her postpartum depression.

Brooke Shields with her daughters

Sounds like this friendship certainly meant a lot to Shields.

Brooke Shields has been open about her personal experience.

Eventually, Shields had a C-section and stayed in the hospital under observation in case she needed further surgery.

Brooke Shields smiling in sunglasses

That was when she began to feel something was wrong.

“Everybody says it’s the most amazing moment in your life,” she said.

It was so dramatic and it was not glorious."

When she eventually brought the baby home, her husband began to worry.

“He said, ‘What is wrong with you?

You don’t sing to the baby.

You don’t even look at the baby,'” Shields recalled to Oprah.

Eventually, she was prescribed antidepressants and began to improve.

We have to say it’s incredibly brave of her to open up about her experience!

While some celebrities become tempted to see what’s out there, Brooke Shields tries to steer clear.

One of her greatest hobbies is collecting art and supporting artists.

As the actress toldArtnet, she became a supporter of the New York Academy of Art in 2014.

The first painting she bought was a male nude by Mats Gustafson.

“I’m always buying stuff when the academy has auctions,” she said.

The most she’s ever spent on a painting is around $6,000.

And, of course, she’s been a model for numerous photographers.

Clearly, Shields absolutely loves the arts, and we can’t blame her.

Brooke Shields has always stayed grounded

Brooke Shields has been a superstar from a very young age.

As she toldWoman & Home, she owes her sense of perspective to what she saw as a child.

It seems that her approach definitely worked!

From that moment, the media became obsessed with Shields’ sexuality.

This is just one example of the media’s fixation on Shields' innocence.

When she was 20, Shields wrote a memoir in which she claimed she was a virgin.

And when she lost her virginity at 22, it became public news.

“I was famous from the neck up …

It was a really interesting disconnect.

You sort of desensiti[z]e yourself to anything sexual,” she said.

Apparently, she even taped her hair down to hide her breasts in “Blue Lagoon.”

And her exercise regime shows just how much work she puts in to maintain her fitness.

As she explained toHealthy Living Magazine, her routine includes spin classes, Ashtanga yoga, and dance.

And when she’s acting on Broadway, she has to work even harder.

As she’s discovered over the years, there’s no easy hack to fitness and health.

“Balancing seems to be the biggest tip.

It’s so boring but yet it’s true.

It gets real simple; there’s no pill,” Shields said.

We have to say, we’re impressed!

For Brooke Shields, it presented an opportunity to slow down and reassess.

“It took COVID to really distill everything for me,” she explained toGlamour.

She spent her time reading, doing puzzles, and playing games with her children.

Of course, like many, the pandemic also added a lot of stress for her.

In the end, though, Shields learned a lot from the experience.

Sounds like Shields really transformed her outlook for the better during the pandemic!

As she toldGood Housekeeping, she’s focused on raising her daughters to be polite.

“If my girls are rude, it’s over,” she said.

“There is no place in the world for it.”

Her children always had set bedtimes, a nightly prayer routine, and a weekly visit to church.

Even though Shields isn’t a devout Catholic, she gave her children a religious upbringing.

“I want them to have some sort of base that they can rebel against,” she said.

While Shields clearly had a hands-on approach to parenting, she avoided being too overbearing.

However, Shields has embraced aging gracefully and thoughtfully.

“It’s really great,” she said.

“And it actually works.”

We love how honest Shields is about her approach to aging!