Guide Note

Christie Brinkley is an American actress and a supermodel. Brinkley was a Cover Girl model for over 20 years, and became the first model ever to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue three consecutive years. In June 2008, her divorce from Peter Cook was highly publicized.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Christie Lee Hudson
2. Born: February 2, 1954
3. Birthplace: Monroe, Michigan
4. Height: 5' 9"
5. Measurements: 36C-23-35
6. Agencies: Ford Modeling Agency
7. Divorced four times
8. Magazine covers: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 1979-1981
9. Films: Vacation, Vegas Vacation
10. Has three children with three different fathers

Brinkley signed with Cover Girl in 1976 and immediately began appearing on numerous |magazine covers. These magazines included Elle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar and In-Style. She gained international celebrityship with her first appearance in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1978. The next year marked the first of three consecutive years on the cover of the popular issue, a feat matched only once since by Elle Macpherson from 1986-1988. Brinkley made a memorable appearance as "The Girl in the Red Ferrari" in the Chevy Chase 1983 comedy National Lampoon's Vacation and reprized her role in a 1997 remake called Vegas Vacation. Brinkley has been married four times, most famously to musician Billy Joel from 1985-1994. She was often the inspiration for some of his biggest hits of that time period, including Uptown Girl. Brinkley has three children, is a noted supporter of animal rights and a member of PETA and currently can be seen as a spokesperson for the Total Gym home fitness equipment.

Brinkley filed for divorce from Cook in 2006, after discovering that he had been conducting an affair with then-teenage Diana Bianchi. The divorce trial began June 2, 2008, and included revelations of Cook's $3,600 per year internet porn habit, and that he had given Bianchi $300,000, allegedly as hush money.¹

A settlement in the divorce was reached on July 10, 2008. Brinkley was awarded sole custody of the couple's children, Jack and Sailor, and was granted ownership of all of the real estate. Brinkley will reportedly pay Cook $2.1 million.²