accidents happen

Brooke Shields Was Once Mauled by a Lion

Brooke Shields.
Brooke Shields. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Today, a celebration of literally strong Hollywood women, specifically Brooke Shields, who was once mauled by a lion. At a special screening of The Jungle Book on Thursday night, hosted by the Cinema Society, the model and actress told the Cut about the encounter.

Shields said she lived in Africa for four months while shooting the 1992 movie Running Wild. But one visit with the lion she was working with turned sour.

“I had raised her since she was a cub. And literally she ran after me. She was just trying to send me a warning, but she knocked me to the ground, bit my butt, and then got off.”

Wait, tell us more:

“I was walking away from the lion … but you don’t really do that,” she said. “She leapt on the back of me and put both of her big paws around my shoulders. Thank god I had a backpack on, but she actually went underneath my backpack and chose the prime cut of beef and took a chunk out of – not a chunk, it didn’t bleed. She bit my butt. She did not want me hanging around her.”

Lesson learned: Even an armory of 1,200 blow dryers can’t save Brooke Shields. Also: Brooke Shields raises lion cubs??

Brooke Shields Was Once Mauled by a Lion