Rowan Henchy Recalls Mom Brooke Shields' Advice Before Joining 'Next Gen NYC'

Rowan Francis Henchy is stepping into the spotlight by joining Next Gen NYC for season 2, but she won't be alone thanks to acting icon and mom Brooke Shields' guidance.

"She's nervous the second I leave the house, like, I can go and get a coffee, and she's stressed, she's a mother," Rowan, 23, exclusively told Us Weekly of her mom's reaction to her starring on the reality TV show. "She just really stressed [for me to], be myself."

Rowan, the eldest of Shields' two daughters, recalled the actress, 61, recently telling her, ‘‘Don't be the girl throwing up, be the girl holding back that girl's hair.' And I was like, honestly, yeah, and that can pertain to all walks of life."

Rowan - who will make her reality TV debut when Next Gen NYC premieres on June 24 - revealed that despite Shields' hesitation over the idea, she has "always really let me make my own decisions."

"I think she also stressed that you're doing this for you, and I don't want it to become [about me]," Rowan told Us. "Obviously like right now, the headlines, her name is in a lot of these headlines, because it makes sense, because people don't know who I am. They know who my mother is, and that's amazing."

Rowan explained, "I know her as my mother, but I also know that the world sees her as this amazing icon that she is. But she said, ‘This is a chance for you to be you, and I want you to really express what you like.'"

The New York native shared that she has "so many things that I love," noting she hopes fans will get to see that she loves "to work and I love this entertainment industry."

"I was very hesitant, I was very worried, I was very concerned," Shields confessed about Rowan signing on for season 2 of Next Gen NYC.

Shields told Us that she reminded Rowan, "You're an adult, I can't tell you what to do, but what I can tell you is, do not make this the end of your career, make it the beginning."

The actress also warned her daughter that "you can ruin" your future and career with "one bad behavior night."

Rowan, however, told Us that there weren't any "red flags" when she decided to join the cast, teasing that she's not the one who gets into trouble on the new season.

"I did not find myself very heavily in the drama per se, but I did - I was a listener, and when my input was requested it was given," she revealed. "I also need to keep in mind, like, these people have been friends for much longer, and I am someone who is new to this friend group, so I never wanted to speak out of place."

Rowan added, "I never found myself butting heads with anybody. I was satisfied with that, and I think that's just kind of who I am."

Season 2 of Next Gen NYC premieres on Bravo Wednesday, June 24, at 9 p.m. ET.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 5:41 PM.