'We are over': Brooke Shields rages at how women over 40 are 'not marketed to' and 'unrepresented'
In a preview clip for her upcoming interview with Gayle King for Oprah Daily, which airs on July 28 at 8 pm Brooke Shields, 57, talked about her career and her shock at the 'under-representation' of women over a certain age.
Brooke Shields has been open about feeling ignored by society after she turned 40, despite the fact that she is still a working actress. Shields first gained world-wide attention as a 15-year-old when she was featured in a controversially 'sexy' 1980 Calvin Klein ad, and has lived practically all her life in front of cameras.
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The model told King that she is "still in a career" and "still working," but she thinks that the industry only shows "sexy and fabulous" women in their 20s or those wearing "Depends [diapers]".
Shields said to King, "I'm still in a career, I'm still working, and I'm here and I was shocked by how unrepresented I was. You're either in your 20s, fabulous, and sexy, or you're wearing Depends and have dentures." Shields claims in the video, which was posted to Instagram, that women begin "living in [their] lives" at the age of 40 but are "not marketed to."
“We’re over. Once you’re over, you stop working, you’re, like, put out to pasture,” Shields said, adding that she was “incensed” by the realisation. Shields' online platform, Beginning is Now, which she hopes will inspire women to feel like they can try new things or embark on new beginnings at any age, was founded as a result of the significant gap in the representation of women of a certain age.
“When I think about beginnings, I feel like it’s now,” she said, adding that women shouldn’t feel like they need to ask for “permission”. Women on Instagram agreed with the star's sentiments and thanked her for speaking out against how society treats women. "It's so true, and I agree with you! One person exclaimed, "Bravo!" while another said, "Amen! We appreciate you speaking for us all. I'm still here and I'm not done adding to this life.
"I'm grateful, Brooke. As a mature woman, it is extremely frustrating to lose social standing", another person wrote. The model has previously spoken out against ageism in Hollywood and society. On the Verywell Mind podcast last month, she brought up the subject and stated that she has "fought ageism in Hollywood probably since [she] was about seven."
During the podcast appearance Shields also mentioned that she didn't realize she was being "overlooked" until she was 50 years old. "It wasn't until I reached the age of 50 that I realized nobody was speaking to me outside. They're missing me," she said, adding that the realization was particularly troubling given that she is going through a time in her life where she "finally" feels "much more confident and less complicated."