Brooke Shields has opened up about a disturbing experience she had while undergoing surgery on her labia.
The actress, 59, has shared an insight into her life in her upcoming book, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman.
In it, the Blue Lagoon actress opened up about undergoing a procedure to have her labia reduced after suffering from painful issues throughout her life.
However, after coming round from the surgery, she was horrified to learn that her surgeon had thrown in a “little bonus” she’d never asked for – which was also irreversible.
She revealed that her “wonderful” gynecologist initially recommended a labia reduction as she’d been experiencing discomfort, bleeding, and chafing since high school due to the length of her labia.
Brooke told Us Weekly: “Of course, it’s not covered by insurance because it’s considered cosmetic, which is very interesting. The last time I did check, I did not want to be a porn star.”
She underwent the surgery, performed by a male Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, but was left shocked after he admitted he’d done a bit of extra work she’d never asked for.
Brooke explained: “He informed me that he threw in a little bonus,” revealing that he’d given her a “rejuvenation” – which is described by NIH as “decreas[ing] the average diameter of the vagina, mainly for sexual reasons.”
The actress felt violated that she’d been given the extra surgery she’d never asked for or consented to, adding: “It felt like such an invasion – such a bizarre, like, rape of some kind.”
She admitted she was “dumbfounded” by what had been done to her, with the procedure also being “irreversible”.
“Nothing pointed toward this need to be tighter or smaller or firmer or younger, especially there,” she told the outlet.
The Golden Globe nominee revealed that she did not tell her husband Chris Henchy about it for “the longest time” as she “felt shame” about the experience.
Brooke revealed that she’d chosen to “share this very intimate information” with her readers despite some thinking it might be “too graphic or simply TMI”, in order to dispel the stigma about female health.
She explained: “If we are to change the way we approach and talk about women’s health, then we need to bring up the uncomfortable but very real issues. Shame is no longer an option.”
Brooke has not shied away from sharing her own traumas in the past, as she revealed in her 2023 documentary Pretty Baby that she was raped by a Hollywood executive when she was in her 20s.
She told People in August last year about how her daughters – Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18 – reacted to the information being made public.
Brooke explained that while Rowan already knew about the incident, Grier had “no idea” and felt “helpless” knowing that “something bad” had happened to her mother.
Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman is available to buy from Tuesday.
