Brooke Shields says her doctor performed vaginal rejuvenation surgery on her during a labial reduction procedure without her consent.
The 59-year-old model revealed that she learned about the “bonus procedure” from her doctor after the fact and was “enraged.”
The former “Suddenly Susan” star shared the story in her new book, “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.”
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Brooke Shields Reveals She Had Labia Reduction Surgery
Shields shared a shocking story in her new book, “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old,” about an unwanted cosmetic procedure she received.
The actress from “Endless Love” shared that during a visit to her gynecologist, she was asked whether she experienced discomfort in her labia. She humorously mentioned that she only felt discomfort in tight jeans, during spin classes, and in all romantic moments, as reported by PEOPLE.
Despite feeling a bit uneasy discussing the topic, the model expressed the importance of addressing uncomfortable yet common issues like this, emphasizing the need to eliminate any sense of shame.
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Shields mentioned that her labia has been a source of pain for her since her high school days. She recounted a light-hearted moment with a friend who also faced a similar discomfort, playfully referring to their experiences as having “two little speed bags” down there.
“It hurt and it was in the way, and when I told my gynecologist as much, she said it was very common and that I was surely a candidate for a labial reduction procedure,” wrote Shields.
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Doctor Performed Vaginal Rejuvenation Surgery Without Her Consent
Shields’ gynecologist recommended a male doctor for the reduction procedure, and she decided to have the surgery. After the doctor finished, he told Shields that he’d given her vaginal rejuvenation surgery without her consent.
“When it was over, the doctor gave me the rundown of how it went,” she recalled. “‘I was very detailed,’ he said, to my relief and excitement. And then: ‘I was in there for four hours, and you know what I did? I tightened you up a little bit! Gave you a little rejuvenation!'”
The “Pretty Baby” actress wrote that she was “shocked,” “speechless,” and “horrified” by the news.
“Wait, what?? I was shocked, speechless. I can’t remember how I responded, or even if I said anything,” she wrote. “Was I supposed to say thank you?”
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Doctor Told Shields ‘Everything Is Looser’ After Having Kids
The doctor explained that after having children, “everything is looser,” but Shields had given birth to her children via C-sections.
“‘After two kids, everything is looser,’ he said. But I had C-sections, and a scarred, more restricted cervix, I responded. ‘Still…’ he said, staring, as if waiting for some further reaction from the lady whose feet were glamorously in the metal stirrups. He acted as if he’d done me a favor, and that I should, in fact, be grateful. There was a real ‘I threw this in for free, little lady’ vibe to his delivery. But I had never asked to be ‘tightened’ or ‘rejuvenated’ (translation: given a younger vagina). I felt numb,” she shared.Â
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“I was horrified, but also at a loss,” she continued, adding that she wasn’t sure if she should sue because she didn’t want to have to talk about her “lady parts” and be on the front page of every newspaper.
Shields Was Not Happy With The Results
The former Calvin Klein model said that she was not happy with the results, but even if she was, her body was “surgically altered” without her consent.
“This man surgically altered my body without my consent,” she wrote. “And he thought he had done me a favor by throwing in a ‘bonus procedure’? The sheer gall of it enraged me.”
As a child actress, Shields’ was oversexualized in films such as “Pretty Baby” at the age of 11, and “Blue Lagoon,” at the age of 14.
“The fact that the most intimate parts of my body had been a public focal point for so long … it was enough already,” she said. “All I could think was, ‘Why can’t everybody just leave my v-gina alone?’ (Even now, as I write this, I know this will be the bit that makes headlines. Whatever. Women deserve all the information.)”
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Shields added that she was not happy with the results once she headed, and the unwanted procedure did not enhance her pleasure.
Shields’ Husband Was Also Angry
Shields wrote in the book that she never spoke to the doctor again and was traumatized by the unwanted procedure. She also noted that when she told her husband, Chris Henchy, he was also angry about the unwanted procedure.
“I never took action against this doctor. I never even spoke to him about it again, in part because I had started to question myself,” she wrote.
“To wonder if he was right, that I should feel lucky. Or maybe, I thought, this was a needed improvement for my man, who was secretly dissatisfied but would have never dared address the subject of my ‘loose down-theres?’ It’s crazy to me that these ideas even popped into my head.”
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She continued, “What’s even crazier is that I didn’t even discuss it with my husband until later. I can’t remember why I eventually told him, but he was nearly as angry as I was. He had no right to do what he did, and if it happened to me now, I would make my own blaring headline and blast it everywhere. That’s what this age feels like to me, and I like it so much better.”
“Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old” will be available on Jan. 14.