Teri Shields, Brooke's mom and manager, dead at 79

The Associated Press, Tuesday, November 6, 2012, 9:46am (PST)

Teri Shields, who launched daughter Brooke's on-camera career when she was a baby and managed the young star into her 20s, sometimes with controversy, has died. She was 79.

Jill Fritzo, a spokeswoman for Brooke Shields, confirmed Tuesday that Teri Shields died last week in New York City. The New York Times reports that the elder Shields died following a long illness related to dementia.

Brooke Shields parted ways professionally with her mother in 1995, describing the move as "the hardest thing."

Teri Shields started promoting her daughter as an actress and model when she was still a baby and allowed her to be cast as a child prostitute in 1978's "Pretty Baby" when she was just 11, sparking an outcry over the decision.

Shields is survived by a sister and two granddaughters.

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AP writer Alicia Rancilio contributed to this report.