Christie Brinkley, the legendary supermodel who has graced the world’s most iconic runways and magazine covers, is now sharing the story of her life through words rather than fashion. Her recent interview with the New York Times delves into the emotional landscape of her four failed marriages, a journey that has left her both wiser and more reflective. ‘I’m too trusting,’ she admits, ‘I’m a fool for love.’ Her words paint a vivid portrait of a woman who has learned the hard way that love is not always a simple equation.
Brinkley’s first marriage was to Jean-François Allaux, the artist she met when she was just 19 years old and living in Paris. Their six-year union, though filled with passion, eventually dissolved as she felt constrained by the constraints of marriage. She recalls, ‘I started to wonder what else—and who else—might be out there.’ Her decision to leave Allaux for the freedom she sought was a pivotal moment in her life, setting the stage for the next chapter of her personal journey.
Her life took an unexpected turn when she married Billy Joel, the legendary musician known for his soulful ballads and introspective lyrics. While their relationship was marked by love and creativity, it was also plagued by the challenges of addiction and the pressures of fame. In her memoir, Uptown Girl, Brinkley confesses that Joel’s love for his drink often overshadowed her own. She writes, ‘When you become the bad cop, it’s over.’ Yet, she acknowledges that if they had been older, perhaps they could have navigated those difficulties together.
Following her divorce from Billy Joel, Brinkley married Richard Taubman, a real estate developer who, according to her, was more interested in her wealth than her heart. The marriage was fraught with tension, especially after the birth of their son, Jack. In her memoir, she describes feeling like a ‘user’ in the relationship, with Taubman’s emotional manipulation leading her to seek her own freedom once more. ‘That’s when I knew this was not nor could it ever be love,’ she writes, ‘it was usership, manipulation, and at its worst, emotional torture.’
Then came Peter Cook, the architect with whom she spent the longest of her marriages. Their relationship, however, was marred by an affair on his part, which ultimately led to their contentious divorce in 2008. Brinkley describes this period as one of the ‘most tormented experiences’ she has ever faced. Her decision to leave Cook was not easy, and the emotional toll of the divorce left her feeling like a stranger to the man she once called husband.
Despite the heartbreak of her divorces, Brinkley remains open to the idea of love. ‘Everything I’ve been through, all the pain, the stupidity, I would do it again because I believe in love,’ she tells the New York Times. ‘I think it would be sad not to. I’m not sure I want to give up the freedom I have now. It gets harder to meet people and harder to trust. It would take a special person to get me to want to share my life. I have made peace without having it. I have been making it through without a man for a lot of years. I don’t need a person to make me happy. I’m happy.’
Her journey through love and loss is a testament to a woman who has embraced her independence while still finding joy in the possibility of love. Through her memoir, Brinkley offers a deeply personal reflection on the complexities of relationships, the importance of self-trust, and the courage it takes to navigate life on her own terms.