Brooke Shields Refuses to Get Age-Shamed by Critic, “I Really Wish You Looked the Way You Used To”

Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old! No, that's not what she thinks, rather it's the title of the newest book. At 59, the actress, entrepreneur, author, and mother-of-two radiates energy and beauty, and knows how to shut down a troll, publicly. She sat down with Good Morning America for a lively discussion of what it means to be a woman about to reach 60, and what the fan reactions mean to her.

Brooke Shields' new book was inspired by ageism.

From being a child model, an infant really, at 11 months, to being the face of Calvin Klein Jeans, Brooke Shields has come a long way from what fans remember her best for. She gained notoriety for her “bold” scenes in Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, and for supposedly being in a relationship with Michael Jackson. Today, she's all grown up at 59, and her latest book was inspired by a slight at a party, when she revealed her age to the man hosting the evening.

As per an interview, Shields recalls, “The person's demeanor changed instantly. You know, they said, 'Oh, I wish you didn't say that.' I was just like, you wish I didn't say what, like, told you my age?”

Brooke Shields is joyous about being 59, and getting older.

Of course, it doesn't stop there. Shields came on Good Morning America to discuss her book and what “age” really means to women. While discussing the same with hosts Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, Shields said, “The beauty industry wants us to chase youth, we look at regrets — what if, what if.”

She also added, “And I think it’s important to understand where you’ve been, but I think it’s really joyous to say, ‘I may not know where I’m going, but I’m here.’” The Mother of the Bride star admitted that while she wants to “look my best and I want to be healthy,” she's not very focused on anti-aging, per se.

She continued to say, “I’ve earned everything that I have on my face. And I think it’s important to pat yourself on your back and say, ‘What do you want to do now?’”

Shields is adamant about not going to let the world make her feel invisible because she had the gall to get older. As a mother of young daughters, Shields feels that while she jokes about her age, it doesn't mean she feels any lesser than what she is. Said the actress, “I joke about it like, my knees are practically down to my ankles, you know, at this point. And everything on them is like, high, and pert and taut and peachy, and you know, and you're just like, ‘God. Wow.’”

She continued to say, “And then, you know, you get a glimpse at yourself in the mirror, and you're like, ‘Oh, boy. OK.’ And you've got to be careful that you don't make that so negative in your life that you start thinking you're less than.”

She admits she wants to “do the things that make you feel the best about yourself. But then admit I don't want to look like my daughters. I've grown up into this person, this body, this face, and this whole person has done a lot and seen a lot and survived a lot and lived through a lot, and my painting has gotten more defined.”

A troll wished for her to look "the way she used to."

Shields also revealed that she wanted to look good, not because she was 59, but because she deserved it. The gorgeous businesswoman said, “I don't want to just look great for 59. I just want to look great because I feel great and because I got my roots done yesterday. Like, I think that's a healthy way of treating one's ego, you know?”

On her Good Morning America appearance, Shields also joked about the “perils” of aging. She recalled, “I was doing an Instagram Live the other day and one of the comments was, ‘I really wish you looked the way you used to.’”

Amidst shocked laughter from the hosts and other guests, she continued, “And I was like, ‘Really?’ I thought, ‘We’re all so out of touch.’ We need to find joy in this.”

She admitted she was looking forward to all that she could achieve in life, and believed that her age and experience only made her more formidable. Perhaps why people ended up reacting like this, to the “news” of her being 59, and on her way to 60!

In Shields' book, out now, the star is candid about many topics that most women shy from. In one particularly shocking excerpt, the actress also reveals how a doctor performed a medical procedure on her, that she never consented to. Ageism and sexism is something many women end up facing, and Brooke Shields stands different in the inspiring way she handles it all.

This is also why fans adore her, as one wrote, “GREAT conversation!! Love and embrace yourself right now, right here!” Another agreed, “Brooke always knows exactly what to say and when to say it.”

Finally, one fan wrote, “You are not allowed to get old because you are still so gorgeous!” and we have to agree to that sentiment.

We are all going to age, even the most beautiful of us. So while Brooke Shields turns it into humorous books, these stunning celebrities also have more inspiration to offer, if you are willing to listen.