Brooke Shields Opens Up On Heartache Of Adjusting To Life As Empty Nester After Dropping Off Her Youngest At College

“I cried all the way home.”

Jesse

• Published in News
• August 29, 2024

Parenthood is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but nothing quite prepares you for that final drop—when the kids leave home for good. It’s a milestone many parents dread, and even fewer are fully prepared for.

Brooke Shields, the beloved actress and supermom, recently faced this exact heart-wrenching moment, and she’s not holding back about how tough it’s been. 

In a candid Instagram video, Shields opened up about becoming an empty nester after dropping her youngest daughter, Grier, off at college. As she sat on her porch, where she once watched her eldest daughter leave, she shared the bittersweet reality of this new chapter.

“I’m back on this porch, and I am now officially an empty nester,” the 59-year-old actress shared with her 1.6 million Instagram followers. The actress, who has always been open about her deep love and close bond with her daughters, didn’t hold back the tears as she described the overwhelming feeling of coming home to an empty house.

Despite her daughters, Rowan and Grier, attending the same college, Shields admitted that the transition hasn't been easy. “They’re together at least,” she said, trying to find comfort in their proximity. “But it’s really not easy for the moms. It’s just so weird. It’s so weird that she’s not here.” 

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Shields recounted their emotional goodbye while fighting back tears. Her daughter’s tears set off her own waterworks, and it was basically a sob fest. She admitted that she cried the entire ride home when the reality of her new life as an empty nester set in.

Brooke Shields shares a tender moment with daughter, Grier

All smiles and family pride! The Shields-Henchy clan celebrating life’s milestones together

The tears didn’t stop there—they flowed through her heartfelt video, which captured the raw emotion of a mom who’d just watched her last baby fly the coop. Her Instagram caption, complete with bird nest emojis, summed it up perfectly: “Both of my baby birds have left the nest.”

Brooke Shields beams with pride as her youngest daughter steps into the next chapter, diploma in hand.

Shields, who shares her two daughters with husband Chris Henchy, has always been open about her family life. Their eldest, Rowan, is now a college senior, while Grier has just embarked on her freshman year. 

Earlier this year, Shields confessed to "Good Morning America" that she wasn’t prepared for this moment. “You think you’re ready for it, and then people say, ‘Oh, you’re gonna have freedom.’ But I just… I don’t know. I’m not really prepared for it.”

Despite the emotional upheaval, Shields remains optimistic, recognizing that her daughters are still close to her heart. “Our girls are so close to us,” she said, smiling through the tears. “They’re attached in the right way.”

While her home may be quiet for now, Shields knows it’s only a matter of time before her girls come flying back, bringing the chaos—and the love—back with them.

Jesse