Brooke Shields recalls chaotic Thailand swim after monkey attack during filming trip
The actress joked that she tried feeding bananas to calm the monkey
Brooke Shields has recalled a chaotic and unexpected encounter with wildlife during a swim in Thailand, revealing she was chased out of the sea by an aggressive monkey while filming abroad.
The actress shared the story while attending Animal Haven’s 2026 Benefit for the Animals at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York, where she appeared alongside her daughter, Rowan Henchy.
The pair were speaking about their shared love of animals when they revisited the unusual incident.
Rowan, 22, who also received the Leonard Simon Award at the event for her work with Animal Haven, explained that she witnessed the moment unfold from a nearby boat while visiting her mother in Thailand.
“We were in Thailand, and mom got off and was swimming around when she was doing a movie there,” Rowan said, describing how the situation quickly escalated when Shields approached a monkey on the island.
“I went to visit her, and we’re the type of people where it’s like, ‘We think we could get the lion to be best friends with us,’ but she went up to a monkey,” she added.
According to Rowan, the encounter turned chaotic almost immediately.
“Then the monkey attacked her and we had to quickly get off the island. I watched from the boat. I was like, ‘There she goes. There she goes,’” she recalled.
Shields, known for films such as Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, joked about the incident, saying she tried to calm the animal with food.
“I’ve never seen anybody swim faster. I gave it bananas,” she said, adding that the monkey was “very happy” despite the attempted distraction.
Rowan quickly responded, “It doesn’t want a banana. It wants to get you off its island.”
The lighthearted exchange highlighted the close bond between Shields and her daughters, including younger daughter, Grier Henchy, 20, whom she shares with husband Chris Henchy.