Who Is Brooke Shields' Husband Chris Henchy?

Although Brooke Shields has gained recognition for starring in hit films like The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love, her husband, Chris Henchy, works his magic behind the camera. Henchy is a director, producer, and screenwriter who has helped popular films and TV shows such as Entourage, Land of the Lost, The Campaign, and The Other Guys come to life. The entertainment guru has also collaborated with Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay on different projects; not only did he help them create the comedy website, Funny or Die, but he’s also a partner of their production company, Gary Sanchez Productions.

His career keeps him busy, but Henchy still finds time to devote towards his thriving relationship with Shields. After meeting in 1999 and getting married (twice) in 2001, the two of them have been going strong for more than two decades. They’re even parents to two daughters, Rowan and Grier. In March of 2023, Shields opened up to People about her husband’s best qualities and the role they play in keeping the spark alive in their long-term marriage. “He made me laugh, and he continuously 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 admitted. “He brings me back out and says, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ So, he’s good at leveling me.”  

From his professional life to his personal relationship with Shields, here’s everything to know about Chris Henchy.

He Works in the Entertainment Industry

Shields isn’t the only one in the relationship with a successful Hollywood career. For decades, Henchy has been a producer and screenwriter, and he’s responsible for some of the biggest comedy shows and movies in the industry, such as Entourage and Spin City. Through his partnership with Ferrell and McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions, he’s also been able to work on films, like The Other Guys, Land of the Lost, The Campaign, Get Hard, and The House. 

Although most of Henchy’s projects take place off-screen, he’s acted in a few motion pictures, but his real passion lies within writing and producing. “I was cut out of The Other Guys," he told Collider in 2015. "I was a real estate agent, purchasing a house in Step Brothers. I think my role—my performance—was described as pasty. Not the greatest. Yeah, I'm not great in front of the camera.”

He’s a Good Cook

For her lifestyle brand, Beginning Is Now, Shields launched a cooking series called “Brooke Don’t Cook” on Instagram. In June of 2022, she invited her husband to be the guest star. In the video, Shields revealed that while she can’t cook, her husband is an expert in the kitchen. “Brooke don’t cook…but Chris does!” the caption said. “@brookeshield’s husband taught her a few tricks—apricot barbecue chicken with smashed roasted potatoes, mmm—just in time for you to share with the dads in your life this Father’s Day.”

While the two of them whipped up the meal, Henchy joked with his wife and gave her some invaluable cooking advice. “Don’t open!” he said to Shields when she tried to open the oven before the food was ready. “If you're looking, it ain’t cooking. Just look in the glass.”

Shields’ Dog Introduced Them

If it wasn’t for Shields’ bulldog, Darla, the Hollywood couple might not have met. In her 2005 memoir, Down Came the Rain: My Journey With Postpartum Depression, the actress recapped her first encounter with her future husband, which took place in 1999. Shields wrote that she wanted to show her friends her pet, so she brought Darla to the gym on the Warner Bros. lot. “While there, the dog wandered off, and Chris brought her back,” she said in her novel. “He was writing for a show filmed on the lot and loved dogs. We chatted and he made me laugh." For the Sahara star, it was love at first sight. “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 exclaimed. 

Three weeks later, the two of them crossed paths again in Washington D.C. while Shields was hosting a show and Henchy was the writer. “[W]e started spending time together and became friends,” she described in her book. “I was struck by how thoughtful and funny he was.” At the time, Shields had just ended her marriage with Andre Agassi, so she was hesitant to start a serious relationship. She finally caved once she realized “there was something between us that I could no longer ignore, and we started dating.”

He Proposed to Shields in 2000

One year after meeting, the couple got engaged. Henchy popped the question in August of 2000 while the two of them were on a trip in Mexico. New York City jeweler Stephen Russell described her engagement ring as “an antique cushion-cut diamond ring set in platinum and diamond mounting.”

He Married His Wife Twice

In April of 2001, Shields and Henry said “I do” on Catalina Island in California. One month later, they tied the knot again in Palm Springs, California. For their second celebration, the bride wore a strapless Vera Wang wedding dress, and she paired it with a cocktail-length veil. During the ceremony, Shields vowed to always laugh at her husband’s jokes “even if I’ve heard them before.”

He's the Proud Dad to Two Daughters

Throughout their 22 years of marriage, Shields and Henchy have raised two daughters. Rowan Francis Henchy was born in 2003, and the couple welcomed Grier Hammond Henchy in 2006. While Rowan attends Wake Forest University, Grier is a high school student who has a stint in modeling. The two of them have been photographed on the red carpet with their parents, but they mainly stay out of the spotlight.

They Inspire Each Other’s Work

Although Shields wrote a series of children’s books, her second book was a tribute to her husband. In 2009, she published It’s the Best Day Ever, Dad! based on Henchy’s relationship with his daughters. “I think [Chris] was embarrassed, but very sort of touched by it," Shields said on Today. "I feel like the relationship between little girls in particular—I only have little girls—and their dad is such a unique one."

In the interview, Shields also admitted that her daughters were daddy’s little girls when they were younger. “He can go into the next room and then come back and they'll be like, 'He's back! He's back, Mom!'” she recounted. “I'm like, 'He went into the next room … [am I] chopped liver? I'm here the whole time!' They're like, 'Yeah, but he's here now!’ So, he's a rockstar god to them and this [book] is a tribute to their relationship and what they do together.”

Meanwhile, Henchy also used his wife as inspiration for one of his projects. He created a series called I’m With Her, which was based on his relationship with Shields. The show only lasted one season, but it followed a teacher who started dating a famous movie star after the celebrity’s dog bit the main character.