Teri Shields, the mother and manager of Brooke Shields, has died at 79, reportedly due to dementia-related illness. 

Teri used to pop up in the news fairly regularly, raising eyebrows and garnering critical questions after allowing Brooke, at the tender age of just 11, to be cast as a prostitute in the 1978 film 'Pretty Baby'. At the time Teri disturbingly referred to her daughter as a "sexy child", and agreed with a description of her as "forbidden fruit", reports the New York Times. Despite this, she managed her daughters career for many years, until 1995 when Brooke chose to make it on her own, as Fox reports, the model and actress cited a difference of professional interests. "The focus was on creating a persona rather than a talent" she said. 

The mother-daughter relationship was apparently already strained, as Brooke has said in the past that she grew up in "an alcoholic household" but really hit its most difficult rough patch as Brooke reached adulthood and the relationship between them was apparently tense between mother, daughter, manager, client and friend. Teri, in an interview with 'Extra', said "I felt that she had to be on her own. It kills me once in a while. I would like to get over it I would love for Brooke to be my best friend, but you can't because I am her mother and she is my daughter." 47-year-old Brooke has, as yet, not commented on her mother's death. Contact Music wishes the family and friends of Teri our deepest condolences.