Brooke Shields makes a splash in black swimsuit during action-packed Croatia trip
Brooke Shields celebrated her 61st birthday this summer with an adventurous trip to Croatia alongside friends, including fellow actress and comedian Chelsea Handler. The outing, which the "Pretty Baby" star described as the "highlight of the summer," featured everything from waterfall adventures to strolls through Croatian streets.
Shields' Instagram carousel opened with a striking image of her beside a rushing waterfall, wearing a black strapless one-piece swimsuit. Soaked from the mist, she perched on a moss-covered rock with her legs extended, face lifted toward the sun, her dark hair slicked back and adorned with gold jewelry.
The trip included multiple water-based activities. In another photo, Shields lounged on a wooden swim platform attached to a boat while wearing the same black swimsuit, with Handler floating nearby in turquoise and another friend in a red bikini. A video clip showed Shields playfully jumping from the waterfall's edge into the Pool below.
Away from the water, Shields swapped her swimsuit for a bright yellow dress while exploring Croatia with Handler. The pair appeared relaxed and joyful throughout their adventure, posing together on a busy street with Handler in a white button-down shirt and Shields in her flowing dress, wide-brimmed hat, and layered necklaces.
Fans reacted enthusiastically to the posts, with comments praising both Shields' destination and her apparent ease and happiness. One wrote, "Croatia is beautiful," while another proclaimed, "Brooke Shields The most beautiful in the world." A third joked, "So that's the fountain of youth you've been using!"
The celebratory trip came as Shields reflected on maintaining grounding amid public life. In a July 2026 interview with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah Daily, she discussed navigating fame since childhood, emphasizing the importance of surrounding herself with grounded people and seeking therapy to distinguish her own voice from those who shaped her early career.
"How can I stay as grounded as possible to be the kind of mom for my daughters that it would very easily be derailed in this industry?" she told Winfrey, explaining that maintaining normalcy became crucial after becoming a mother to Rowan and Grier with husband Chris Henchy.
Shields also opened up about her complex relationship with her mother and former manager, Teri Shields, who raised her as a single mother while managing her career from infancy. "There was so much love, but then you couple that with the industry that we were in. She protected me fiercely," Brooke said, crediting years of therapy with helping her hear her own voice separate from her mother's influence.