Who is Christie Brinkley? Peter Cook’s Ex-Wife Diagnosed With Skin Cancer

All About Peter Cook’s Ex Wife Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley (age 70, born on February 2, 1954) is a famous supermodel and actress known for her roles in movies like “Vacation,” “Jack and Jill,” and “Vegas Vacation.” She’s also been in music videos with her ex-husband, Billy Joel, in songs like “Uptown Girl” and “Keeping the Faith.”

For more than 25 years, she was the face of CoverGirl. Recently, she’s been in the news because she revealed on Instagram that she had skin cancer on her face, called basal cell carcinoma. Luckily, doctors found it early and removed it.

In a picture she shared online, you can see her with a bandage on her forehead where they took out the cancer. After Christie shared the news, her Instagram page was flooded with nice messages and comments from her fans, wishing her well.

Christie Brinkley Suffering From Skin Cancer

On March 13, 2024, Brinkley shared on her Instagram that she had skin cancer. She said she noticed a small dot while putting on makeup and asked her doctor about it. After a closer look, the doctor suggested a biopsy, which showed she had basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer.

Luckily, they caught it early, and doctors removed it with surgery. Now, Brinkley tells her followers to always use sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun and avoid getting skin cancer like she did.

Christie Brinkley’s Childhood

On February 2, 1954, Christie Brinkley (age 70) was born to her father, Herbert Hudson, and mother, Marjorie Hudson in Michigan, USA. When she was a teenager, her family moved to Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, where her mom married Donald Brinkley, a TV writer.

Donald adopted Christie and her brother Greg. They lived in Malibu and later in Brentwood. Christie went to Paul Revere Junior High School and finished high school at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles. After high school graduation, in 1972, she went to Paris to study art.

Christie Brinkley’s Career

In 1973, Brinkley’s modeling journey began when she was spotted by photographer Errol Sawyer in a Paris post office. He took her first modeling photos and introduced her to John Casablancas of Elite Model Management. With Elite’s help, Brinkley worked with famous photographers like Patrick Demarchelier and Mike Reinhardt, catching the eye of Eileen Ford from Ford Models.

After returning to California, Brinkley’s career took off. She landed three national ad campaigns after a lunch meeting with Nina Blanchard. This led to many covers in Glamour magazine and a groundbreaking 25-year contract with CoverGirl.

She continued to be a face of CoverGirl even in later years, starring in ads for mature skin products. Brinkley graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for three years straight from 1979 to 1981.

She appeared on over 500 magazine covers, including Rolling Stone, Glamour, and Harper’s Bazaar. Besides modeling, Brinkley tried her hand at acting, making her debut in the 1983 film “National Lampoon’s Vacation” as a Ferrari driver.

She also appeared in documentaries like “King of the Hamptons” (2011) and co-hosted “Anderson Live” in December 2012. Brinkley has shown her versatility by featuring in music videos as well.

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Christie Brinkley’s Married Life 

In 1973, Brinkley got married to French artist Jean-François Allaux, but they divorced in 1981 without having any children. Then, in 1982, Brinkley started dating Olivier Chandon. They met at a party in New York City’s Studio 54, where Brinkley was promoting a calendar.

Sadly, Chandon passed away in a car race crash just a year later. Brinkley’s second marriage was to musician Billy Joel in 1985. They met in 1983 on the Island of St Barts and got married on March 23, 1985, on a yacht on the Hudson River. It was Joel’s second marriage too.

In December 1985, they welcomed a daughter named Alexa Ray Joel. Even though they got divorced in August 1994, Brinkley and Joel stayed good friends. In 1994, while still married to Billy Joel, Brinkley met real estate developer Richard Taubman, who proposed to her in May of that year.

They got married on December 22, 1994, in Telluride, Colorado, near where they had survived a helicopter crash earlier that year. Brinkley was 40 years old when they got married and announced they were expecting a baby boy. Their marriage ended in 1995, and they had a son named Jack Paris Brinkley in June 1995.

Brinkley’s fourth marriage was to architect Peter Halsey Cook in 1996. They first met in 1979 when Cook was modeling and were reintroduced by a mutual friend, NBC’s Jill Rappaport. They got married on September 21, 1996, and had a daughter named Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook in July 1998.

Brinkley and Cook announced their separation in July 2006, and their divorce was finalized in October 2008. In September 2015, Brinkley was in a relationship with John Mellencamp, but they broke up in August 2016 after almost a year of dating.