Brooke Shields Opens Up About One Unpleasant Interview Experience

“Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

That’s the tagline that made Brooke Shields a household name. She is a gorgeous model and actress who will always be remembered for her iconic Calvin Klein tagline. She was an up-and-coming model and the star of a Calvin Klein ad in the 80s. She was the most famous teenager on the planet. She was modeling for Calvin Klein and hanging out at Studio 54.

Brooke Hamrick was only 15 when she got the job to be the model in the famous commercial. However, it caused controversy for being sexually suggestive. The issue was so severe that the ad was banned in certain countries. However, she was still very young at the time to fully understand how her tagline in this TV commercial may be interpreted sexually.

Brooke is opening up about a confusing and traumatic interview experience she had with journalist Barbara Walters. She called this experience ‘practically criminal.’

She was a guest on the Armchair Expert program when she discussed the media’s over-sexualization of young actors and models. She said that modeling for Calvin Klein was an interesting experience. However, the interview with Barbara Walters, conducted after the debacle with Brooke’s appearance in CK’s advertising, was particularly taxing for her because it triggered painful memories from her past.

Talking about the interview, she said, “It’s practically criminal. It’s not journalism.”

Brooke says that during the interview, Barbara asked her quite a few strange questions. Remember she was only 15 at the time and the host asked her questions that no teenager should be worried about and some too personal for her liking. Like how much she weighed, how tall she was, and if she kept anything from her mother.

And in an October 2021 Vogue interview, Brooke spoke about the public backlash she received for her CK campaign. She said, “I was away when they came out, and then I started hearing that the commercials were being banned. The paparazzi would scream at me and my mother, ‘How could you!’ It just struck me as so ridiculous.”

She said that she never felt that the line was double entendre or even sexual. She said, “I didn’t think it was about underwear or sexual in nature. I was naive. I think the assumption was that I was much more savvy than I ever really was. I was a virgin, and I was a virgin forever after that.”

That Calvin Klein advertising was banned. Brookes and her mother were shamed for it. But this did not stop her from becoming one of the biggest stars of her time. She said, “The controversy backfired. The campaign was extremely successful, and then the underwear overtook the jeans. [Calvin Klein] understood how to push the envelope. It set the tone for decades.”

It’s no secret that Calvin Klein is one of the biggest brands out there. Even though they have a unique way of marketing its brand, they are still a strong label in the industry. They know how to be captivating. You’ve probably seen the brand’s ads before and it’s clear that the company has never been afraid to be slammed even if some people find their ways too appealing or offensive. Even after being laughed at and criticized for decades, the company has learned its lesson and will continue to push the limits and they are never afraid to do so.