Brooke Shields Pretends to Sleep to Get Out of Sex With Husband

Brooke Shields loves her “hot” husband Chris Henchy but isn’t always into doing the deed.

“I was talking to a doctor recently who inquired about my sex life, and I explained to her that I have no desire and I’m fine with it,” Shields, 59, wrote in her latest memoir, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman, published on Tuesday, January 14. “Turned out, she was not fine with it.”

Shields wrote that she “had a fervent sex drive” when she was younger. “But I never felt like I could step into that appetite in the way that I wanted to,” the actress added.

Shields detailed how losing her virginity, and in turn, having sex with previous boyfriends, impacted her relationship with her late mom, Teri Shields.

“My connection with my boyfriend was a personal affront to her, because having a man in my life in such a real way meant that she was losing me,” she wrote. “Oh, how I wish I’d just let the lust take over! But regrettably I was never able to do that.”

This has continued to play out in her marriage to Henchy, 60. (Shields and Henchy have been married since 2001. They share daughters Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18.)

“Here I am, more than thirty-five years later, sometimes pretending I’m asleep when I know Chris is in the mood,” Shields admitted in the book. “That has nothing to do with Chris —he’s hot! He’s been working out at a boxing gym recently, and he looks incredible.”

Shields explained to readers that her lack of sex drive comes alongside all the “bodily s—” that she has experienced as an aging woman. She also noted that pretending to be asleep is “not great” — but she’s working on that.

After telling the doctor about her lack of sex, Shields recalled being “on the receiving end of a lecture about how important sex is to a relationship.” The actress also admitted that because of a previous surgery, sex has become “painful.” (Shields told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this month about a plastic surgeon giving her a vaginal rejuvenation surgery without consent.)

“For me to fully enjoy sex at this point, I need my lotions and potions, the right sleepwear (maybe calling it sleepwear is contributing to the problem), my special pillow, and maybe a tequila so I can relax,” she wrote, noting “again” that Henchy is “not at all the problem.”

“Listen, there’s nothing wrong with using whatever you need!” she stated. “Whatever it takes.”

Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old is out now.