Brooke Shields' pretty baby is all grown up.
The Blue Lagoon actress was very emotional after helping her 18-year-old daughter Grier—who she shares with husband Chris Henchy—move into a dorm room at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Despite previously joking about her excitement in having Grier all grown up, Brooke revealed in a tearful video that she's actually all torn up over the college freshman's departure from home.
"I am now officially an empty nester," Brooke shared on Instagram Aug. 26, filming herself from the porch of the family house. "It's so weird that she's not here."
But for Brooke, the silver lining in all of it is that Grier is now with her and Chris' 21-year-old daughter Rowan, who has been studying at the same college since 2021.
"But it's not easy," the 59-year-old continued, sharing that it was "really hard" seeing Grier off. "She started crying, and then I really started crying."
Brooke added, "And then, I cried a good portion of the ride home."
The Pretty Baby alum's friends also took the opportunity to share their empty nester stories—with Debra Messing quipping in the comments section that she laid on her couch for three weeks when son Roman Zelman, now 20, went off to college for the first time.
"It’s the end of an era and now you get to start a new chapter," the Will & Grace star wrote. "But first you have to cry. A lot."
Meanwhile, Melissa Joan Hart, who is mom to three teenage boys, applauded Brooke for her "true words" about parenthood.
"It's so hard on the moms when our babies fly off," the Sabrina the Teenage Witch actress continued, "but if we did our job, that's the goal!"
Deborah Roberts—who shares kids Leila, 25, and Nick, 22, with husband Al Roker—added in a comment of her own, "I know Brooke. But it gets a bit easier and always remember that we raised them to fly away!"
To see more photos of celebs dropping their kids off at college, keep reading...
Sunny Hostin
The View cohost couldn't help but to break down in tears when she dropped daughter Paloma Hostin off at Cornell University in August 2024. In fact, Sunny admittedly had to take a small hiatus from social media to "wrap my brain around being an empty nester and letting the birds fly."
Gizelle Bryant
In August 2024, the Real Housewives of Potomac star and her ex Jamal Bryant helped their oldest daughter Angel Bryant move into Spelman College in Atlanta.
As seen in a TikTok video posted by Gizelle, the former couple went on to drop off their middle daughter Adore Bryant at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., and youngest daughter Grace Bryant at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee—all in the span of five days!
Al Roker
The Today anchor and his wife Deborah Roberts admitted that their hearts were "sagging a bit" when they dropped son Nick Roker off for his junior year of college in August 2024.
"But his smile ensures that we will all be ok," Deborah noted, with Al noting in a post of his own that the house "is a little too quiet."
Teresa Giudice
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star dropped off Milania Giudice at the University of Tampa on Aug. 26, 2024.
"And she’s off," Teresa wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of her daughter in her new dorm room, as well as a video of the teen crying. "Today is the start of a new, exciting chapter! I love you so much and can’t wait to watch everything you accomplish over these next four years."
Guy Fieri
Flavortown got a little lonelier in August 2024, when the celebrity chef and his wife Lori Fieri saw their son Ryder Fieri move into his dorm at San Diego State University.
"It hasn’t fully hit us yet," Guy captioned this family selfie on Instagram, "but not seeing him everyday is gonna be hard."
Brooke Shields
The Blue Lagoon alum joked about her "empty nester" status after sending her and husband Chris Henchy's youngest daughter, Grier Henchy, off to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. In an August 2024 TikTok, Brooke dropped Grier's luggage off at her dorm room before excitedly running off.
However, in a follow-up video, the mom of two tearfully shared that it was "not easy" for her to say goodbye.
"It was really hard," Brooke continued. "She started crying, and then I really started crying. And then, I cried a good portion of the ride home."
Jerry Seinfeld
What's the deal with kids growing up? That was probably what the comedian was asking himself when he and wife Jessica Seinfeld helped son Shepherd Seinfeld move into his dorm in August 2024.
Joanna Gaines
The HGTV host said "saying goodbye doesn't get easier" as she saw her and Chip Gaines' oldest son Drake head off to his second year at Baylor University.
She added in an August 2024 Instagram post, "Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season."
Michael Strahan
The morning show host was having a good morning on Aug. 23, 2023, when he sent his youngest daughter Sophia Strahan to Duke University.
"Can’t believe how time has flown by and I’m so proud of her," he wrote on Instagram. "I know she’s going to crush college life!!"
Alex Rodriguez
The baseball legend dropped off daughter Natasha Rodriguez at University of Michigan in 2023, writing on Instagram that the experience was "one of the hardest, but most proud moments of being a father."
Kevin Hart
There was a bit of an empty space in the comedian's heart when daughter Heaven Hart went off to college in 2023. As he joked on Instagram, "I cried in the car."
"I can’t even say little girl anymore because you have blossomed into the most amazing young woman ever," Kevin wrote alongside a photo of Heaven and her siblings Hendrix, Kenzo and Kaori in her dorm room. "God knows I am beyond proud of you and that I love you with my all. Fly Heav Fly….The world is yours!!!!!"
Lara Spencer
The Good Morning America co-anchor drove daughter Katharine Haffenreffer to her college in 2023.
Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter Natalia Bryant entered college in 2021.
"Today was rough," his widow Vanessa captioned a photo of herself and their younger daughters, Bianka and Capri, dropping the freshman off at the University of Southern California. "This was before the tears came down."
The Full House star sent her son Maksim Bure off to college in 2021.
"College bound!!!" she captioned a photo of herself dropping him off at the airport. "I'm so excited for him, although as his mama, and him being the baby, I'm so [crying emoji]."
Brooke Shields
The Suddenly Susan alum joked that seeing her oldest daughter Rowan Henchy off to Wake Forest University in 2021 was "the saddest drive away from anywhere I've ever had to make."
"My unique and extraordinary baby girl spreading her wings," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "I love you so. We are so proud of you."
Storm Reid
The Euphoria star took USC by storm in 2021. She wrote on Instagram as she kicked off her college career, "When we say hot girl summer we talking bout degrees."
In 2021, the Pioneer Woman star made a 500-plus mile round trip to help son Bryce Drummond move into his dorm at the University of North Texas.
"I guess it's that important to me for my child to be able to make an egg," she quipped on Instagram. "I love you, my son!"
Suni Lee
Fresh off the Tokyo Olympics, the gold medal gymnast started college at Auburn University in 2021.