HACKENSACK, N.J., May 16 (UPI) -- Actress Brooke Shields says tabloid reporters checked her mother out of a New Jersey nursing home where the senior was staying for her safety.
The "Blue Lagoon" star said her 75-year-old mother Teri was taken from an assisted living center in Old Tappan, N.J., Thursday by reporters allegedly working on a story for The National Enquirer, People.com reported Friday.
"My mother Teri Shields has been diagnosed with dementia. For her safety, she has temporarily been in a senior living facility, a very difficult decision for me," Shields, 43, said in a statement.
"Late Thursday afternoon, I was alerted by Old Tappan Police that my mother had been signed out of the facility by two reporters of the National Enquirer … who falsely claimed they were friends of hers."
The National Enquirer had no comment regarding the allegations by the "Suddenly Susan" actress.
Police told People.com officers called to the nursing home found Teri Shields talking to one reporter in an eatery next door to the nursing home. While the senior was not harmed, Brooke Shields vowed to seek legal action against those involved.
