Brooke Shields is marking a major milestone in her love story. The iconic model and beloved Hallmark actress celebrated 25 years of marriage to her husband, Chris Henchy, over the weekend by sharing a collection of rare and gorgeous wedding photos on Instagram.
Brooke Shields Calls Husband Chris Henchy Her Greatest Love After 25 Years of Marriage
“Today marks 25 years married! A quarter of a century… does this make us an old married couple?? I love you, Henchy!!” she captioned the post.
Shields and Henchy, a television director and producer, tied the knot in 2001 in California. A quarter century later, their bond remains as strong as ever.
Shields & Henchy’s Love Story Started With a Dog
Getty“Mother of the Bride” actress and Henchy’s love story began most unexpectedly: with a wandering dog on a studio lot.
In her 2005 memoir, “Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression,” Shields reflected on their first meeting and admitted the connection was instant.
“To this day I believe that I fell in love with Chris the day we met, in 1999, but I would never tell him that!” she wrote, as quoted by US Weekly.
Getty“I had just gotten an American bulldog, Darla, and I brought her to meet friends of mine in the gym on the Warner Bros. lot. While there, the dog wandered off, and Chris brought her back. He was writing for a show filmed on the lot and loved dogs. We chatted and he made me laugh.”
Just weeks later, their paths crossed again when Shields was hosting a show in Washington, D.C., and Henchy happened to be working as a writer on the project.
“[W]e started spending time together and became friends. I was struck by how thoughtful and funny he was,” she recalled.
At the time, the “The Blue Lagoon” star was still healing from her divorce from tennis legend Andre Agassi and was not eager to jump into another serious relationship.
GettyStill, Shields admitted that the connection between them had become impossible to ignore.
She wrote that she “had to admit that there was something between us that I could no longer ignore, and we started dating.”
Henchy Proposed During a Getaway in Mexico
The couple took the next step in their relationship during a romantic getaway to Mexico in 2000, where Henchy proposed to Shields.
“He took her away for the weekend and asked her on Saturday night,” Shields’ publicist told the Associated Press at the time, per BBC. “I don’t really know any of the details, but she did say ‘yes.’”
Laughter Has Been the Key to Their 25-Year Marriage
When it comes to what makes their marriage work, Shields has always pointed to one thing: laughter.
“He made me laugh and he consistently makes me laugh and doesn’t take anything too seriously so I don’t go down those rabbit holes the way I used to,” she told People in March 2023. “He sort of just brings me back out and says, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ So he’s good at leveling me.”
That love was on full display in March 2024 when Shields celebrated Henchy’s 60th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Happy birthday, my love!! I have no idea what we’d do without you Chris, love you so so much,” she wrote.
The couple has also given fans a peek into their home life through Shields’ lifestyle brand, Beginning is Now.
In a June 2022 episode of her Instagram cooking series “Brooke Don’t Cook,” Henchy joined his wife in the kitchen. As it turns out, he’s the one behind the stove in their household.
“Because Brooke don’t cook, I married a man who does cook. Chris Henchy, he does cook,” Shields joked.
