"Rape"

Brooke Shields underwent intimate surgery without consent

Brooke Shields describes how a surgeon performed an intimate surgery without her consent.(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Dimitrios Kambouris)

Brooke Shields goes public with a traumatic experience in her new book. She describes how the surgeon performed another intimate procedure during a planned labiaplasty without obtaining the actress's consent in advance.

Brooke Shields talks about an intimate topic in her book "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman".

Intimate surgery with "irreversible" consequences
During an intimate surgery, the surgeon performed another procedure without her consent, which had "irreversible" consequences, the actress explained. And as Shields now also explained to "Us Weekly", she felt this assault was "a bizarre kind of rape".

But how did it all come about? Shields recalled talking to her gynecologist about the length of her labia and whether they had ever caused her any problems. In fact, this had been the case since her youth, which is why she was offered a surgical reduction of her labia. 

"Of course, it's not covered by insurance because it's considered cosmetic, which is very interesting," said the former "Blue Lagoon" actress. After all, she had not intended to become a porn star, she admitted.

Doctor spoke of a "small bonus"
Nevertheless, she took her gynecologist's recommendation, did some research and found a surgeon in Beverly Hills who performed intimate surgeries, according to Shields.

But after the procedure, the actress was in for a shock: the doctor "told me that he had added a little bonus", the 59-year-old revealed. The surgeon had not only reduced the size of her labia, he had also tightened her genital area - a kind of vaginal rejuvenation.

"Felt like an invasion"
"It felt like an invasion - like a bizarre kind of rape," Shields explained how she felt after this unwanted operation. The Hollywood beauty is still stunned today, saying that the doctor who treated her "proudly" broke the news and spoke of a "double effect": "There was nothing to suggest that it should be tighter or smaller or firmer or younger."

She kept quiet about the incident for a long time, not even telling her husband Chris Henchy for the time being out of shame. But now she has decided to share this story with her fans - even if it may be perceived by many as "too revealing" or "far too much information". 

"Addressing uncomfortable topics"
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't embarrassed to share this very intimate information," explained the 59-year-old, but emphasized that she did it for a good reason. Because: "If we want to change the way we approach and talk about women's health, then we need to address the uncomfortable but very real issues. Shame is no longer an option." 

In the past, Shields has not shied away from openly addressing sensitive topics. In the documentary "Pretty Baby", which was released in 2023, she revealed that she was raped by a representative of the film industry in her 20s.