Brooke Shields - Brooke Shields pays tribute to mother

Brooke Shields pays tribute to mother

Brooke Shields has paid tribute to her mother who passed away last week.

79-year-old Teri Shields, died ''peacefully'' last Wednesday (31.10.12) from a long illness related to dementia and while she and her daughter had their ups and downs, Brooke spoke lovingly of her mother after her death was announced on Tuesday (06.10.12).

She told E! News: ''My mother was an enormous part of my life and of who I am today.

''I loved her, laughed with her, and respected her. And although she had her share of struggles, she was my mom.''

The single mother began managing and promoting Brooke when she was 11 months old, kick-starting her career with a Dove advert and a Calvin Klein campaign when she was 15.

Teri - whose full name was Theresa Anna Lillian Schmon - also controversially allowed Brooke to be photographed nude age 10 and star as a child prostitute in controversial film 'Pretty Baby' in 1978 when she was 12.

Brooke began managing her own career in her 20s and has since claimed her relationship with her mother suffered as a consequence.

Speaking in 1994, she revealed: ''I grew up in an alcoholic household. I'm the caretaker who wants to make everything better, and you can only do that for so long, or so I've been told.''