Christie Brinkley turned heads as she attended Author's Night in the Hamptons over the weekend, promoting her new memoir. The 71-year-old model and entrepreneur was signing copies of Uptown Girl when she narrowly avoided a potentially awkward encounter with her ex-husband, Peter Cook, and his much younger wife, Alba Jancou, 26.
The trio were all present at the event, held to raise funds for East Hampton Library, though they were not photographed together. The near miss was particularly significant given that Ms Brinkley’s memoir includes damning details about her marriage to Mr Cook, including allegations that he had an affair with an 18-year-old.
In the book, Ms Brinkley recounts being approached by a man after delivering a graduation speech in the Hamptons in 2006. He allegedly told her: 'I need to tell you that arrogant husband of yours has been having an affair with my teenage daughter.' She recalled being 'so stunned that I froze' before confronting her then-husband, who denied the claims.
The encounter led to Ms Brinkley kicking Mr Cook out of their home, sparking a painful and highly publicised divorce. The couple endured a lengthy custody battle over their daughter, Sailor, now 27. Ms Brinkley has described the marriage as 'one of the most tormented experiences of my life'.
Prior to Mr Cook, the star was married to French artist Jean-François Allaux, singer Billy Joel and real estate entrepreneur Richard Taubman. Despite her marital history, Ms Brinkley remains open to love. Her daughter once set up an online dating profile for her as an experiment, but the results were dire, with the same men matching with both mother and daughter. Still, Ms Brinkley believes her 'miracle guy' is out there.
