Brooke Shields and her husband, Chris Henchy, are officially empty-nest parents.
In a tearful Instagram video on August 26, Shields, 59, shared that her daughters, Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18, are both in college.
Rowan is a senior at Wake Forest University, while her younger sister Grier just started her freshman year at the North Carolina school.
“At least they’re together,” Shields said, emotional, wiping her eyes. “It’s not easy. It’s not easy for mothers. I mean, it’s so weird. It’s so weird that Grier’s not here.”
The actor and Princeton University alumnus described the period as “very difficult.” As soon as Grier started crying, the floodgates opened for Shields.
“And then I cried the whole way home,” Shields said. “Anyway, I’m an empty-nest mom. Wow.”
Al Roker’s wife, Deborah Roberts, knows exactly what her friend is going through. Roberts and Al, who have three children together, also have the house to themselves.
“I know Brooke. But it gets a little easier and never forget we raised them to fly!” Roberts wrote in the comments.
During an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2023, Shields revealed that she was “getting nervous” about Grier graduating high school and going out on her own.
“It’s funny, I said to my daughter, ‘I spent 18 years telling you what to do. Telling you how to behave… so now I really have to trust you,'” Shields told Clarkson.
In 2021, Shields struggled to say goodbye to Rowan.
“My one and only, amazing baby girl is spreading her wings. I love you so much. We are so proud of you,” Shields wrote on Instagram at the time. “This has been the saddest journey I have ever had to take. But my baby is BEGINNING one of the most important adventures of her life yet… NOW!”
Speaking to TODAY about the experience, Shields joked that she had a plan to survive the next few years: “Just move on campus, buy an apartment next door!” But the star was quick to note that “even though it’s sad for moms, it’s also a proud moment.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
