Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, sexual violence, and addiction.

Shields emailed Ali Wentworth in 2017 to ask if she could appear in an episode of Wentworth’s show, Nightcap. Shields loves performing in comedies, which she discovered after appearing in an episode of Friends in 1996. Wentworth responded happily, and the episode sparked a new, close, and unexpected midlife friendship: “One of the best things about making friends in this era, I’ve found is that those friends have only known you in this era. As much fun as shared history can be, sometimes it can also keep you stuck in the past” (127). Studies show that as we age, friendships are critical to our health. They even correlate to longer lifespans. Shields is “intentional” about her friendships now (129). She no longer feels obligated to befriend others and instead pursues friendships that are rewarding. Her female friendships are no longer characterized by jealousy or competition: “I no longer feel left out when my friends have other unique friendships or groups of friends with whom I am not as close” (131). Instead, her friendships are enriching. She does not have a core group of friends but “pockets” of diverse friendships that are fulfilling in different ways.