Brooke Shields Recalls 'Criminal' Interview After Controversial Calvin Klein Campaign

In 1980, actress and model Brooke Shields starred in a controversial Calvin Klein campaign that received a considerable amount of backlash. One of the harsh critics was journalist Barbara Walters, who, in an interview with the then-15-year-old star, asked several intrusive questions about her personal life, what her body looked like, and even her sexual history. "It was practically criminal. It wasn't journalism," commented the actress during a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert.

The Blue Lagoon protagonist and, now, mother of two teenagers lamented the sexualization of her image during her youth, saying she was naive at the time. In the campaign, the actress modeled the styles while reciting lines like, "You want to know what stands between me and my Calvins? Nothing."

Shields said she didn't see the double meaning of the jeans campaign slogan. "I didn't think it had to do with underwear," she told Vogue in October.

At the time of its release, several television channels decided to ban the ad, considering it too provocative. “I was a kid, and at the point I was, I was naive. I was a very protected young woman, very isolated."

Despite the controversy surrounding the campaign, this was a major milestone for Calvin Klein and a huge boost to the designer's career. "He told me, 'You changed my life and my career.' And I told him, 'You did that to me too. We were in the right place at the right time,'" said Shields.