"I just froze": Brooke Shields recalls assault incident at dinner as Pretty Baby documentary trailer takes over internet 

Brooke Shields is set to share her story with the world with ABC's two-part documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, which will premiere on Hulu on April 3, 2023. The Lana Wilson documentary will shed light on Brooke Shields' early life in Hollywood and the burden of beauty and fame in a predatory industry that exploited her to the core.

Shields was one of the biggest s*x symbols of her time, and the industry created this image when she was still a minor. The overly s*xualized actress's story mirrors how the industry functions and treats young women. The documentary will also focus on how the industry commodified and sold Shields around the world to a potent male gaze.

The documentary also revealed Brooke Shields' survival story after she was assaulted by a top Hollywood executive in her early 20s. Shields spoke about the terrible incident to People Magazine in an interview this week. She recalled:

"I didn't fight...I just froze....I kept saying, 'I shouldn't have done that. Why did I go up with him? I shouldn't have had that drink at dinner.'"

This was shortly after Brooke had dinner with the executive, and he asked her to come to his hotel room to book a cab. There, he assaulted her. The identity of the assailant has not been revealed.

Brooke Shields returned to mainstream cinema after breaking the stereotypes and fighting her traumatic past. Her recent films include A Castle for Christmas and Netflix's upcoming Mother of the Bride.

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What happened to Brooke Shields?

Shields was just another young woman in Hollywood to face systematic exploitation. She was put through a lot worse because of her beauty, which led her to become the most photographed woman in the world.

Brooke always faced a life of exploitation in Hollywood, something the documentary will cover in detail, but what happened over 30 years ago with the actress is one of the most shocking things.

She was s*xually assaulted by a powerful Hollywood executive when she was in her 20s. She recalled that it was during a very low point in her career, and she did not get many roles. She recalled the entire event while speaking to People Magazine this week. She said:

"It's taken me a long time to process it...I'm more angry now than I was able to be then. If you're afraid, you're rightfully so. They are scary situations. They don't have to be violent to be scary."

After the event, the young Brooke Shields blamed herself. She said in the interview:

"It was really easy to disassociate because by then it was old hat...And because it was a fight-or-flight type of choice. Fight was not an option, so you just leave your body. 'You're not there. It didn't happen.'"

Despite this, Brooke slowly found her way back in life and went on to shed the stereotypes and break down her image to create a new one. Director Lana Wilson wanted this quality to outline the film. She said:

"I saw someone who gradually gained agency over her own life...Brooke was open, game for anything, and fearless. The only concern she voiced at that first meeting was that this wouldn't be deep enough."

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields made its world debut at the Sundance festival to great acclaim. Apart from Director Lana Wilson, the film is executive produced by Ali Wentworth, Alyssa Mastromonaco, George Stephanopoulos, Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin, Jacqueline Glover, and Jennifer Joseph. BedBy8 produced the documentary alongside ABC News Studios and Matador Content.

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Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields will cover the entire story in detail when it drops on April 3, 2023.