Brooke Shields has had her fair share of memorable encounters with the famous and powerful, but one particular moment with former First Lady Barbara Bush stands out. During an episode of Today with Jenna and Friends on March 20, Shields shared an amusing and unexpected late-night memory from her visit to the Bush family’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
A Longstanding Bond with the Bush Family
Shields’ connection with the Bush family goes back decades. She first met President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush in the 1980s, forming an unlikely yet deep friendship with them.
“I met your grandparents in the ‘80s. I was so young,” Shields told Jenna Bush Hager. The bond went beyond just casual visits; the late president even gave Shields dating advice. “I never had a grandfather, so since I was quite young, he would give me boy advice and say, ‘Okay, I like that one. I don’t like this one.’”
For Shields, it was a relationship that provided a warmth she hadn’t experienced elsewhere. “It was a very sweet relationship that I needed to have and hadn’t had with anyone else.”
A Flooded Living Room and a Nightgown Surprise
Years later, when Shields was invited to visit the Bush estate in Kennebunkport, she expected a relaxing stay. Instead, she found herself in the middle of an unexpected household emergency.
While sneaking downstairs for a beer and some quiet puzzle time, she noticed water rushing into the living room from the ocean. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to tell somebody,’” she recalled. Panic-stricken but quick on her feet, she worked to block the flooding with towels before alerting someone in the house.
That someone happened to be Barbara Bush. But when Shields knocked on the door to inform her of the situation, she was met with an unexpected sight—the former first lady in her nightgown.
An Unforgettable Late-Night Conversation
Barbara, rather than reacting with alarm, invited Shields in without hesitation. “She’s like, ‘Come in here! Come in here!’” Shields laughed while recalling the moment. Rather than immediately addressing the flood, Barbara seemed more interested in engaging in conversation.
“She goes, ‘Okay, ask her, ask her.’ And he [George H.W. Bush] goes, ‘Well, who do you think did it?’” Shields recalled, confused but entertained. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know who did it, but it’s probably the person who you think least did it.’”
The conversation quickly turned into an impromptu family moment. Shields found herself sitting between the former president and first lady, watching Law & Order: SVU as if it were just another ordinary night.
Barbara Bush’s Lighthearted Reaction
Despite the odd timing and setting, Barbara Bush had no complaints. Instead, she showed gratitude for Shields’ quick action, even though Shields downplayed her role in preventing the house from flooding.
“She’s like, ‘Honey, she saved our house!’” Shields said, laughing. “And I was like, ‘Well, I wouldn’t go that far.’”
The story is one that Shields cherishes—a unique, humorous, and completely unscripted moment with one of America’s most prominent families.
