From wearing designer clothes to embracing their independence just like their famous
mom, Brooke Shields' two young daughters are clearly a chip off the old block.
But there's one area where they won't be following in mom's footsteps.
Born on May 15, 2003, Rowan Francis Henchy came after months of fertility treatments
due to her mother's complications with pregnancy.
Since her birth, Brooke Shields has opened up about her struggles as a new mother.
Though she may want to forget that dark time in her life, she does remember the first time
she came up with Rowan's nickname which was “ladybug”.
In an interview with People magazine, Shields stated,
"When she was born, she just looked like two [big] eyes.
She just looked like a little bug and that's been her nickname ever since."
Following her departure from high school, Rowan approached her mom with the idea of
getting matching ladybug tattoos.
Shields, seemingly against her daughters getting any ink before age 30, appreciated the gesture
due to how sentimental the piece would be to her.
To Rowan's surprise, she successfully convinced her mother to make an exception to the "no
tattoos until you're 30 years old" rule.
According to her mother, she knew Rowan had ulterior motives but decided to go along with
it since it was a unique experience the two could share.
She told People magazine:
"I felt like she wanted something to do with her mother.
When you have teenagers, you take what you can get."
On April 18, 2006, Grier Hammond Henchy was born at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.
Although it was a momentous occasion for Brooke Shields, she wasn't the only celebrity introducing
a child into the world that night.
According to the Suddenly Susan actress, Grier was born on the same day as Katie Holmes'
daughter, Suri Cruise.
During her appearance on Dirty Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy, Shields revealed how
she found out about the coincidental occurrence.
Since she understood that she was someone of status, Shields went out of her way to
keep Grier's birth top secret.
After she got to her room, Shields noticed a barrage of photographers outside of the hospital.
She told Jenny McCarthy:
"I look out the window and there's helicopters and movie cameras downstairs and news cameras outside.
And I was like, 'This is an outrage.
Who alerted the media?
Can't I just have a baby?'"
After expressing her wishes in a fit of rage, a nurse walked into the room to assure her
that the paparazzi were for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, not for her.
In light of the crazy coincidence, an insider told People magazine Grier and Suri celebrated
their first birthday together.
While it seemed like the two were the best of friends as children, their relationship
status remains unclear.
As the eldest of the two, it was only a matter of time before Rowan Henchy left the house
to pursue a higher education.
Following her high school graduation in 2021, the 19-year-old enrolled at Wake Forest University
in North Carolina.
Since she's in her sophomore year, one may assume that her mother would've adjusted to
this change.
The first time around, Brooke Shields took to Instagram to upload a collection of photos
and a video of her crying on her drive back from dropping Rowan off.
Similarly, Shields uploaded a video in 2022 of her crying for the same reason — stating,
"It's so hard.
I miss her already."
Both videos garnered massive attention due to the admirable connection the two seem to share.
Though Shields acknowledges how neediness can sometimes drive children away, she's not
afraid to express her discomfort toward her daughters leaving her.
During her appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan she opened up about the hardship she
was facing.
Shields told the hosts that her daughter was "thriving" away from home, but also added:
"But you just sit there going like, 'For the last 18 years she's been in my house and she's
not in my house anymore.'"
As the daughters of a massive modeling icon, it's safe to assume that Rowan and Grier Henchy
like to borrow designer pieces from their mother's closet to add to their ever-growing
collection of clothes.
Though we're sure their closets are filled with several attires most of us could only
dream of having, the two still seek out garments from their mother's array of looks.
Luckily, their mother doesn't seem to have a problem with this.
In 2021, Rowan attended prom wearing a red strapless dress that Brooke Shields wore to
the 1998 Golden Globes.
As commemorative as it was, we're sure Rowan got her mother's blessing before wearing it
rather than stealing it from her closet, unlike Grier.
Because Shields allowed Rowan to attend prom with a dress that held sentimental value,
we're sure sharing lush wardrobes with her daughters isn't an issue for the doting mother
of two.
Shields, however, isn't a fan of her designer clothes suddenly disappearing from her closet.
In an interview with People in 2021, she revealed that this is a constant issue she faces in
her household, and she usually knows who to blame when it happens.
She told the publication:
"If I want to know where anything good that I have is, and I can't find it in my closet,
I know exactly where to find it.
It's [Grier]!"
Judging from her tendency to steal designer clothes from her mother's closet, it seems
like Grier is the troublemaker while Rowan is the obedient one.
Although we're sure this phase won't follow her into her adult life, her mother is ready
for this rebellious phase to be over.
In an interview discussing Rowan's college ventures on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Brooke
Shields jokingly expressed her want to get Grier out of the house — stating,
"The younger one, I'd like to send to college now."
Based on her mother's description of her, Grier apparently has an attitude problem.
During Shields' appearance on Spotify's "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," the Calvin Klein
model shared a story about the two arguing over a dress Grier wanted to buy.
After Shields explained the best course of action in buying the dress, Grier sent a text
stating,
"I really don't appreciate the way you talk to me.
I think that you talk to me like I am a child."
Following the story, Dax Shepard revealed a theory in which the firstborn is much like
the mother while the second child acts like the father.
Shields, in agreement, shared just how argumentative Grier can be.
She told Shepard:
"She's like a social justice warrior.
She could take an argument, and I mean manipulate it ... she could do something wrong, and you'll apologize.
I would love her to be a prosecutor."
From interviews to the documentaries, Brooke Shields, on several occasions, pointed out
the wrongdoings of many higher-ups in the entertainment industry.
Whether it be her portrayal of a child prostitute in Pretty Baby or her traumatic experience
with sexual assault in her 20s, Shields has since suggested that her relationship with
show business is bittersweet.
With Rowan and Grier Henchy growing up, onlookers may assume that the two are bound to follow
in their mother's footsteps.
This seems to be the case for Grier as she is heavily invested in fashion.
Shields, however, prefers her two daughters to stray away from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.
In an interview with USA Today, Shields was asked what would happen if Rowan and Grier
wanted to follow in her footsteps.
Seemingly unsettled by the idea, Shields stated that she'd support them if they were serious
about it.
Despite this, Shields suggested that she prefers a career outside of entertainment for them.
She told the outlet:
"I say this all the time, but it's a business that's sort of predicated on eating its young.
It's based on rejection, and it's based on all the things you're not."
Thanks to their mother, Rowan and Grier Henchy appear to have a strong sense of self.
From a young age, their mother expressed the importance of self-love and how it affects
their well-being.
Whether through skincare or staying in shape, Brooke Shields made self-love a priority in
her household.
In doing so, the Calvin Klein model seemingly taught them well enough to the point they're
teaching her valuable lessons about body image.
During her appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, Shields stated,
"They celebrate their bodies in a way that I never did."
Due to the several body-shaming comments from those around her — including her mother
— Shields stated that she felt disconnected from her body for a long time.
So much so that she developed habits that covered her figure rather than showing it off.
In an interview with Kit Hoover on Access Daily, Shields revealed that Rowan and Grier
helped her break out of this practice and love her body even more than she already did.
"My daughters would actually say to me, 'Mom, you've got a body.
You should just embrace it.'"
Given Rowan and Grier's relationship with their mother, it's safe to say their bond
reminds us of how important it is to nurture a parental connection.
This relationship, however, can turn into unnecessary neediness, causing the child — or
parent — to rely solely on their counterpart.
According to Brooke Shields, she knows this far too well.
With mother Teri Shields behind her every step as a child model-slash-actress, Brooke's
decision to attend college and chase a life of her own was hard because of their codependent relationship.
Despite tearful goodbyes to Rowan when she left for college, Shields wants Rowan and
Grier to be independent.
Luckily for the mother of two, her daughters have proven that they're capable of a healthy
relationship with their mother.
During Shields' and Grier's cover shoot for Victoria's Secret in 2022, Grier suggested
that she is comfortable with whatever life throws at her because she knows her mother
will always be there.
In addition to this, Grier stated that she's aware of the importance of prioritizing yourself
over the ones you love sometimes.
She told her mother:
"I know you're always so focused on making sure that everyone else is okay."
Grier then added:
"Sometimes, it's okay to be a little selfish, and make sure your needs are taken care of."