Brooke Shields Denied ‘Blue Lagoon’ Director’s Call After ‘Pretty Baby’ Abuse Allegations
Brooke Shields revealed that “The Blue Lagoon” director Randal Kleiser reached out to her after documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” aired on Hulu.
The two-part doc, which debuted at 2023 Sundance, examines the early sexualization of Shields in part during Kleiser’s 1980 film when she was 14 years old. Kleiser, who also produced the movie, allegedly called Shields following the doc premiere.
“I saw his name on my phone and I was like, ‘What do I do?’ and I let it go to voicemail because I was like, I want to see what the tone is,” Shields said during “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
Shields continued, “And he wants to chat, I don’t know about what. I don’t feel like bringing any of it back up again.”
“The Blue Lagoon” stars Shields and Christopher Atkins as cousins-turned-lovers who consummate their relationship after their boat is shipwrecked in the South Pacific. Both leads were nude onscreen.
Shields added of her early career, “It was about these males needing me to be in a certain category to serve their story, and it never was about me. It was not protective of me. It was fun and loving at times, but I was just there, I was a pawn, I was a piece, I was a commodity.”
The model-actress said circa “Pretty Baby’s” Sundance premiere that “The Blue Lagoon” would “never” be made today. “It wouldn’t be allowed,” Shields said. “We were wearing little strips of clothing, and my hair was taped onto my body to cover the boobs, which were very minimal anyway. I don’t know what I was trying to cover.”
She added of the production pressure to date Atkins off-screen, “They wanted us so desperately to fall in love with each other. I did not react well being forced into feeling anything. I hadn’t even kissed anybody by that age.”
“Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” director Lana Wilson recently shared that she was skeptical whether Shields’ assault allegations dating back to her 20s against a Hollywood executive would make it into the final cut of the documentary. It remained part of the film after she gave Brooke Shields final cut.
.@brookeshields talks to Drew about how the director of “Blue Lagoon” called her after her @hulu documentary, #PrettyBaby, aired.
Tune in TOMORROW (4/11) for more! pic.twitter.com/Umj8meNk7U
— The Drew Barrymore Show (@DrewBarrymoreTV) April 10, 2023