'I'm an empty nester now?' Brooke Shields heartbroken in her $6 million Hamptons home with kids off to college

By Claudine Zap

The actress pours her heart out on social media now that her daughters are gone

"Mother of the Bride" star Brooke Shields' stunning Hamptons home has officially become an empty nest after her younger daughter, Grier, flew off to college, joining her older sister, Rowan, at school-and leaving the 59-year-old actress devastated.

Shields, who shot to fame at age 12 while starring in the infamous 1978 movie "Pretty Baby," dropped both of her daughters off at Wake Forest University at the end of August. Soon after, she opened up about her grief over their departure in a candid TikTok video filmed on the porch of her property in Southampton, N.Y.

However, in the weeks since, Shields appears to have found the silver lining in her empty-nester status while filming a series of more light-hearted clips at the property she and husband Chris Henchy bought in 2013 for just over $4 million.

Certainly, there are harder places to experience loneliness than the picture-perfect escape, which Shields once showcased for Better Homes and Gardens in 2015, when she opened up about the design process that inspired her renovations.

She wanted to achieve a "classic" style with a "contemporary edge," she noted. She did that by creating a neutral backdrop with whitewashed floors and muted walls, while adding pops of color in the form of vibrant furniture pieces and funky artwork.

Southampton retreat

Built in 1996, the six-bedroom, eight-bath, 4,500-square-foot retreat features a paneled entry foyer, mudroom with washer and dryer, living room with fireplace, formal dining room, den, chef's kitchen with a family room and fireplace.

The primary suite features a gas fireplace and marble bath with a steam shower and a heated floor. The lower level contains a separate entrance, a media room, and a walk-in cedar closet.

Outside, the half-acre landscaped grounds include vegetable gardens, a pool, and a pool house with a covered porch, bath, and kitchenette. The property comes with an outdoor shower and a garage.

Realtor.com estimates suggest the home is now valued at about $6 million. It offers a desirable in-town location that is close to the ocean beaches.

Shields, who also owns a Greenwich Village townhouse, recently shared a rare glimpse inside her Southampton home while filming a video for Architectural Digest and BMW.

While the property once served as a blank canvas for Shields, over the past few weeks, it has become a haven as she grapples with the idea of living there without her two daughters.

'I'm an empty nester now?'

Shields first hinted that she was anxious about becoming an empty nester while dropping her daughters off at college-with the trio taking some time out to film a quick TikTok about the moment.

Casually dressed in flip-flops and holding armfuls of bedding in her daughter's dorm room, Shields is shown asking her kids, "Does this mean I'm an empty nester now?"

The camera pans to her two offspring, who respond, "Yah, we're both in college now." Shields chucks the items she has in her hands and sprints out of the room in apparent delight.

Comedic moment aside, Shields admitted the reality of letting her empty nest status sink in when back at her Hamptons house.

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The tears flow

Sitting on her porch last month, she picked up her phone and let the emotions, and tears, flow.

"Is this supposed to be this hard?" she captioned the video. She then revealed in an on-screen note that "both of my baby birds have left the nest."

Wearing pink-hued aviators, the "Pretty Baby" actress recalled, "OK, so, I sat here a year ago, and I watched my big girl leave.

"I'm back on this porch, and I'm now officially an empty nester," she added.

Tearing up, Shields explained that she does take comfort in her two girls being at the same school.

"But it's not easy for the moms," she said.

Looking back at the emotional video, Shields told Vogue, "I was just being honest about the gut-wrenching feeling when you watch them get smaller in the rearview mirror. It rips your heart out."

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'It's so hard'

While Shields may have lost her daughters to college, her videos have gained millions of views and thousands of comments, including several from other Hollywood stars.

"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 need to cry. A lot. I laid on my couch for three weeks and couldn't speak to anyone," wrote actress Debra Messing.

But the healing had already begun. And where else to do it but in a gorgeous Southampton home?

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Dance it out

Shields seems to be adjusting from heart break to having some fun "me" time. She posted on TikTok jamming in her car to the Sabrina Carpenter song "Taste," which she cheekily captioned, in a nod to her soaring height, "Oh, I leave quite an impression, 6 feet to be exact."

She also showed off her '80s dance moves. Washing what looks like a Stanley cup in her high-end, all-white kitchen, she manages to groove while maneuvering around the center island.

She captioned the video "how this mom danced in the 80s," and then posted some black-and-white snaps from her youthful club days.

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Solo movie night

And in another moment that could be a scene in almost anyone's living room on any given night, Shields appears dressed casually in jean shorts and cozies up with her dog to watch TV. Seemingly in a better frame of mind, she jokingly lip-synchs the call to Minions, "Tonight we steal the moon!"

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

-Claudine Zap

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