Brooke Shields Siblings: Meet the Siblings Squad Behind the American Actress

Brooke Shields, born Brooke Christa Shields on May 31, 1965, in New York City, is an American actress and model who became a household name through her early work as a child model and actress.

The daughter of Teri Shields, an actress and model, and Frank Shields, a businessman with ties to Italian nobility, Brooke was thrust into the spotlight at just 11 months old, modeling for an Ivory soap advertisement.

Her career skyrocketed with controversial roles in films like Pretty Baby (1978) at age 12, where she played a child prostitute, and The Blue Lagoon (1980), cementing her status as a teen icon.

Raised primarily by her mother after her parents’ divorce when she was five months old, Brooke grew up in the public eye, balancing fame with a desire for normalcy.

Siblings

Brooke is the only child of her parents, Teri and Frank Shields, but her father’s second marriage to Diana “Didi” Lippert in 1970 expanded her family significantly.

Frank and Didi had three daughters—Brooke’s half-sisters—Marina Shields Purcell, Olympia Shields Bishop, and Cristiana Shields.

Frank also became the stepfather to Didi’s two children from a previous marriage, Diana Auchincloss Cunningham and Thomas Gore Auchincloss Jr.

Marina Shields Purcell, raised in Long Island and Palm Beach, graduated from Georgetown University in 1993.

She has served on the boards of DreamYard, an arts education organization, and the women’s board of The Boys Club of New York. Marina, who has dabbled in the jewelry business, lives in New York with her husband, Tom, and their two children.

She keeps a low profile but has appeared alongside Brooke at events like the 2019 BCNY Annual Luncheon.

Olympia Shields Bishop, the youngest of the half-sisters, pursued a career in education, teaching math at Palm Beach Day Academy, her alma mater, after relocating to Florida in 2015.

In a 2018 Palm Beach Illustrated interview, she recalled not realizing Brooke’s fame as a child, affectionately calling her “Brookie” and viewing her as just a sister.

Cristiana Shields, the most public of Brooke’s siblings, runs Cristiana Shields Jewelry, a business she named after her late father, Frank, who passed away in 2003.

Described as a charismatic figure, Frank inspired Cristiana’s entrepreneurial path, which she discussed in a 2012 Palm Beach Post article, noting her creative process and the therapeutic nature of her work.

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Diana Auchincloss Cunningham, Brooke’s stepsister, works as a project manager for McCann Design Group, an interior design firm in Palm Beach, and graduated from Skidmore College.

She and Brooke have been spotted together at events like the 2016 American Ballet Theater Fall Gala.

Thomas Gore Auchincloss Jr., Brooke’s stepbrother, is a Babson College graduate who earned an MBA from the Wharton School and worked in financial restructuring, as noted in a 1998 New York Times wedding announcement.

Career

Shields’ career began in infancy, with her mother, Teri, managing her rise as a child model.

Her role in Pretty Baby (1978) sparked controversy due to its explicit content, but it showcased her as a serious actress at a young age.

She continued modeling, becoming the youngest model to grace the cover of Vogue at 14, and starred in films like The Blue Lagoon (1980) and Endless Love (1981), which, despite mixed reviews, solidified her as a teen idol.

Her provocative Calvin Klein jeans ads in 1980, featuring the iconic line “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing,” catapulted her to global fame.

After pausing her career to attend Princeton, Brooke returned to acting in the 1990s, starring in the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan (1996–2000), which earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

She later appeared in Lipstick Jungle (2008–2009) and made guest appearances on shows like Friends, That ’70s Show, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Beyond acting, she voiced characters in animated series like Mr. Pickles (2014–2019) and authored books, including her 2014 memoir, There Was a Little Girl: The Story of My Mother and Me.

Her 2023 documentary, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, explored her complex childhood and career, addressing the sexualization of young women in Hollywood.

Accolades

Shields’ role in Suddenly Susan garnered two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1997 and 1998.

She also received a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program in 1997 for the same series.

Her early film work, though controversial, earned her critical attention, with The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love contributing to her status as a cultural icon.

In 1980, she won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Young Motion Picture Actress.

Her guest appearance on Friends in 1996 was part of the show’s highest-rated episode, drawing 52.9 million viewers, which led to her starring role in Suddenly Susan.