Teri Shields, who launched daughter Brooke’s on-camera career when
she was a baby and managed the young star into her 20s, sometimes with
controversy, has died. She was 79.
Jill
Fritzo, a spokeswoman for Brooke Shields, confirmed Tuesday that Teri
Shields died last week in New
York City. The New York Times reports that
the elder Shields died following a long illness related to dementia.
Brooke Shields parted ways professionally with her mother in 1995, describing the move as “the hardest thing.”
Teri
Shields started promoting her daughter as an actress and model when she
was still a baby and allowed her to be cast as a child prostitute in
1978’s “Pretty Baby” when she was just 11, sparking an outcry over the
decision.
Shields is survived by a sister and two granddaughters.