Brooke Shields is revisiting her widely publicized fallout with Tom Cruise over postpartum depression and his subsequent attempt to make amends. The 59-year-old actress opens up about the controversy in her new memoir, Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old, released on Tuesday, January 14. Shields candidly addresses the Mission: Impossible star’s contentious 2005 remarks criticizing her use of antidepressants and shares the story behind her powerful response.
The dispute began following the release of Shields’ 2005 memoir, Down Came the Rain, in which she detailed her struggles with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Rowan. Cruise publicly condemned Shields’ use of antidepressants, claiming it spread misinformation about mental health treatments. Shields, however, fired back with a sharp retort: “An interesting opinion, coming from someone without ovaries.”
Unwilling to remain silent, Shields penned an op-ed for The New York Times, defending her choices and advocating for women facing similar challenges. “I was sticking up for myself and for women who were suffering, against irrational and dangerous comments from an unschooled actor,” she wrote, highlighting the importance of speaking out against stigmatizing remarks about mental health.
The heated exchange drew significant attention to the realities of postpartum depression and sparked widespread backlash against Cruise for his controversial stance. Despite the public fallout, Shields revealed in her memoir that Cruise eventually reached out to her privately to apologize for his comments.
“It wasn’t the world’s best apology, but it’s what he was capable of, and I accepted it,” Shields wrote, recounting that the conversation took place at her home. Although the apology was not public, it marked a step toward resolution for the actress, who noted the personal effort Cruise made to address the situation.
Shields’ memoir not only revisits this infamous incident but also serves as a broader reflection on her life and career. Her candid recollections shed light on the stigma surrounding postpartum depression and the resilience required to confront criticism, both in the public eye and personal life.