Christie Brinkley, the iconic supermodel known for her radiant smile and successful career, recently opened up about her personal life in a candid interview with The New York Times. Having been married four times, Brinkley admitted to being a “fool for love” and shared insights into her past relationships, revealing both regrets and lessons learned.
In her discussion with the outlet, Brinkley reflected on the challenges of her marriages and whether she remains open to love. “I’m too trusting,” she confessed. “I’m a fool for love. That love takes work. Sometimes you need to rely on experts. I wish I could have found ways to save some; I wish I hadn’t married others.”
Brinkley’s Marital Journey
Brinkley’s first marriage was to artist Jean-François Allaux in 1975 when she was just 21. The couple divorced in 1981. Four years later, she married musician Billy Joel, a union that lasted until 1994. That same year, she wed real estate developer Richard Taubman, but the marriage ended after a year. Her fourth marriage was to architect Peter Cook, which concluded in a contentious divorce in 2008.
Reflecting on these relationships, Brinkley mused, “I always believed in soul mates. I thought I had four of them. Now I’m not sure. Maybe I had my two soul mates with Jean and Billy. Maybe I rushed out of my marriage to Jean. Maybe I should have tried to make it work longer with Billy.”
Lessons from Love
Brinkley shared that her experiences left her questioning her own lovability, though she ultimately recognized her worth. “I’m not unlovable,” she clarified, “but the relationships I was in made me feel unloved. I have enough self-esteem to know that in the right arms, I’m lovable.”
She described her first marriage as one where she loved her freedom more than her partner, Allaux. “I got married too young. I started to feel constrained and regretted being tied down,” she admitted.
Behind the Headlines: A Closer Look
Brinkley’s marriage to Billy Joel brought its own set of challenges, particularly due to Joel’s struggles with addiction. “Booze was the other woman,” she wrote in her memoir, “Uptown Girl.” Despite the difficulties, Brinkley and Joel remain friends, with Joel even encouraging her to be honest in her memoir.
Her third marriage to Taubman was complicated by financial motives. “Ricky was a larger-than-life character who married me for my money,” she claimed. The relationship, which occurred shortly after her divorce from Joel, was further strained by the birth of their son, Jack.
“That’s when I knew that this was not nor could it ever be love or even a real relationship: it was usership, manipulation, and at its worst, emotional torture,” Brinkley wrote about her marriage to Taubman.
Brinkley’s fourth marriage to Cook ended after his affair with a teenage assistant came to light. “I was married to a stranger who had other lives,” she said, describing the divorce as one of the most agonizing experiences of her life.
The Road Ahead: Love and Independence
Despite the heartache and lessons learned, Brinkley remains open to the possibility of love. “Everything I’ve been through, all the pain, the stupidity, I would do it again because I believe in love,” she shared. However, she acknowledges the challenges that come with finding a partner later in life.
“I think it would be sad not to [believe in love]. 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,” Brinkley noted.
With three children—daughters Alexa Ray and Sailor, and son Jack—Brinkley has found fulfillment in her role as a mother. She expressed a poignant regret about not being able to share family memories with a partner, but she remains content with her life as it is.
“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,” she declared, adding, “But I have so much happiness in me, I would love to share it with someone I love.”
