Fans Tried to Cut Off Her Hair: Brooke Shields Recounts 'Pretty Baby' Frenzy

Brooke Shields has opened up about the intense and often frightening attention she experienced as an 11-year-old star of the controversial 1978 film "Pretty Baby."

Shields, now 61, recalled the overwhelming frenzy surrounding the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. "There was absolute madness around me. People tried to cut off my hair," she said during a recent appearance on The Broadstairs podcast. She described fans as wanting "a piece" of her, highlighting the invasive nature of the fame she encountered at such a young age.

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There was absolute madness around me. People tried to cut off my hair.

The film, which depicted Shields as a young girl sold into prostitution, was her first major role. The filming process itself was arduous, taking place over months during the summer in New Orleans. Shields and her mother, Teri Shields, initially viewed the project as an artistic endeavor and were proud of her involvement.

However, the overwhelming public reaction and the film's controversial subject matter proved to be too much. "Then it ruined our lives for a while," Shields stated. This intense experience prompted her and her mother to step back from filmmaking and concentrate on her modeling career. Shields later pursued higher education, earning a degree in French literature from Princeton University, before returning to acting.

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Then it ruined our lives for a while.