Supermodel Christie Brinkley has proposed a novel approach to modern marriage, suggesting it could be reimagined as a renewable, five-year contract to avoid contentious, legally complex divorces.
During an appearance on the “Are You a Charlotte?” podcast, Brinkley and host Kristin Davis discussed whether marriage has become an “outmoded construction.” In response, Brinkley offered her solution: “You could get married, like, ‘We’ll see if you want to renew it in five years.’ Every five years, go, ‘Do you want to renew?’ That way, if you’re getting bored or whatever, you can get out of it without all the lawyers and all that stuff.”
Brinkley’s perspective is informed by her own history, having been married four times. Her marriages were to Jean-François Allaux (1973–1981), musician Billy Joel (1985–1994), Richard Taubman (1994–1995), and Peter Cook (1996–2008). She has a daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, with Joel, and a son, Jack, and daughter, Sailor, with Cook.
In a previous interview with The New York Times, the 71-year-old model reflected on her romantic past, admitting, “I’m too trusting. I’m a fool for love.” She added that while some of her relationships “made me feel unloved,” she knows “that in the right arms, I’m lovable.”
Brinkley has also been candid about the pressures of sharing her personal struggles. While writing her memoir, “Uptown Girl,” she recalled her publishers insisting she include difficult chapters about divorce, telling her, “People will relate… it has to be relatable.”
Shifting to her current love life, Brinkley shared a humorous anecdote about her brief experience with dating apps. She explained that her daughter Sailor created a profile for her, only to discover an awkward overlap. “[Sailor] said, ‘Mom, you’re right not to go on [dating apps] because the same guys that… said yes to me are saying yes to you,’” Brinkley recounted.
The model has also spoken openly about her high-profile marriage to Billy Joel. In the HBO documentary “Billy Joel: And So it Goes,” she said that while she “wanted it to work,” the relationship deteriorated due to Joel’s demanding schedule and struggles with alcohol. “I don’t think it’s a secret that his drinking got pretty bad,” she said, noting that one night, after an argument, she told him she was leaving with their daughter. “He said, ‘Yeah, fine, go.’”
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