Brooke Shields Is ‘Terrified’ to Be an Empty Nester After Dropping Both Daughters Off at College

Brooke Shields admitted that watching her daughters, Rowan and Grier, head off to college was extremely emotional for her.

“I’m terrified to be an empty nester!” the mom of two, who shares her kids with husband Chris Henchy, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, August 28. “I’m worried about me, just as much as I’m worried about her.”

Currently, Rowan, 21, is a senior at Wake Forest University and Grier, 18, is an incoming freshman.

“Feelings are fraught. I mean I’ve already done it and she was a mess,” Rowan told the outlet of when she first went away to college. “I think she’s really busy now which is good.”

“Off record, I’m hoping you and dad rekindle the flame,” Rowan added.

Brooke, 59, and Chris, 60, got married in 2001. The pair have been one of Hollywood’s strongest couples over the years, always gushing over each other whenever they get the chance. And while Brooke admitted it’s been emotional saying farewell to the children, she is thrilled to have raised such strong women.

“They’re going to have each other’s back,” the mom of two said. “They’re both tough and strong-willed. The world is not going to undo them. I’m proud of who they are.”

In a video shared on her Instagram page one day before the interview was published, Brooke broke down in tears as she dropped her kids off at the school in North Carolina.

“I sat here a year ago and I watched my big girl leave — I’m back on this porch and I am now officially an empty nester,” the Mother of the Bride actress said in the tearful clip

“They’re together at least,” she added. “It’s not easy. It’s not easy for the moms. I mean it’s just so weird. It’s so weird that (Grier’s) not here.”

“It was really hard and then she started crying … I really started crying and then I cried a good portion of the ride home. I’m an empty nester. Wow,” Brooke said at the end of the video.

In the comments section of the post, she received support from other moms and friends and fans after the emotional college drop-off.

“Oh Brooke it’s so so hard. It’s the end of an era and now you get to start a new chapter. But first you have to cry. A lot,” Debra Messing wrote in a comment. “I laid on my couch for 3 weeks and couldn’t speak to anyone. Be tender with yourself. It’s hard because it’s hard. All us empty nesters are sending you love.”

Al Roker’s wife, Deborah Roberts, wrote, “I know Brooke. But it gets a bit easier and always remember that we raised them to fly away!” Deborah, 63, and Al, 70, recently dropped their son, Nick, off at college for his junior year.

“Sending you love. What a great job you’ve done, mama. The babies are ready to soar,” Paulina Porizkova wrote in a comment underneath Brooke’s post, while Melissa Joan Hart wrote, “True words! It’s so hard on the moms when our babies fly off but if we did our job, that’s the goal!”