How Brooke Shields Conquers Her Inner Critic (Yes, She Has One Too!)

It’s almost unbelievable to think that Brooke Shields could have an inner critic. But, like everyone else, she does. She’s human, after all, and it’s common for many people to face this challenge. (Just look at Drew Barrymore and Busy Philipps—celebrities, they’re just like us!) Brooke explores her inner critic in detail in her upcoming book, 'Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old,' which is set for release on January 14, 2025. She notes a telling statistic: 'A survey of 2,000 women found that we criticize ourselves at least eight times a day, and frankly, that seems to be a pretty low estimate,' she writes in Chapter Three.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Brooke Shields for a photoshoot and interview, where we had a chance to ask her a variety of questions. We covered topics like her book (what she hopes to contribute to the conversation), her approach to parenting her daughters (no helicopter mom here!), her love language (silence is golden!), and much more.

We were eager to ask her whether she had managed to replace her inner critic with a more supportive inner voice. Her response was refreshingly genuine: 'I mean, listen, the inner critic will always have the first word,' she says. 'But I’m learning to find humor in myself. It’s not just self-deprecation, which used to be my go-to joke.' She points out that putting yourself down constantly—even if in jest—can have serious consequences: 'Eventually, you start to believe it’s true. And that’s dangerous,' she explains. Shields says she’s put a stop to that behavior and now, 'I walk into rooms with more confidence than I used to. There’s something powerful about that.'

'You really have to learn early to love yourself. No one can do it for you,' she shares. 'And if you seek that love from others, it leaves you feeling a bit empty. It’s not that you can’t feel content, but there’s such liberation in discovering everything you love about yourself, learning to appreciate your own uniqueness. And that’s incredibly difficult to do.'

If this path to self-love feels like a lonely one, it’s not. Shields shows herself some care by spending time with people who uplift her. 'I make space for the people in my life who make me laugh, who leave me either understanding myself better or reminding me of something I love about myself through their company.' It turns out, it’s tough to hear your inner critic when the voices of loved ones bring out the best in you.

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