Christie Brinkley

After graduating from the Lycée Français de Los Angeles in 1972, Brinkley moved to Paris to study art. In 1973, American photographer Errol Sawyer discovered her in a Paris post office, took her first modeling pictures, and introduced her to Elite Model Management through John Casablancas.

Brinkley soon met fashion photographers Patrick Demarchelier and Mike Reinhardt, who helped bring her to the attention of Eileen Ford. After returning to California, she secured three national advertising campaigns by the end of a lunch meeting with Los Angeles modeling agent Nina Blanchard.

Brinkley's appearances on the cover of Glamour were followed by a 25-year contract with CoverGirl, one of the longest modeling contracts in the industry's history. She returned to the brand in 2005 for advertising campaigns and television commercials for mature-skin products.

She made modeling history by appearing on three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers in 1979, 1980, and 1981. Brinkley went on to appear on more than 500 magazine covers, including Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Life, and worked with brands such as Chanel No. 19, Revlon, Diet Coke, Nissan, and MasterCard.

Brinkley made her film debut in National Lampoon's Vacation in 1983 as the woman in the red Ferrari, opposite Chevy Chase. She reprised the role in Vegas Vacation in 1997 and later revisited the character in advertising and in an episode of The Goldbergs.

Her television work included a recurring role as Gayle Gergich, the wife of Jerry Gergich, on Parks and Recreation. She made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2011, also performing with the national touring company and in London's West End. She reprised the role in 2019 at the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas.

Brinkley also appeared in music videos for Billy Joel, including “Uptown Girl,” “Keeping the Faith,” “All About Soul,” “River of Dreams,” “A Matter of Trust,” and “Leningrad.” In 2019, injuries requiring emergency surgery prevented her from competing on Dancing with the Stars, so her daughter Sailor took her place. Brinkley later competed as the Lemur on the seventh season of The Masked Singer in 2022.

Brinkley was married to French artist Jean-François Allaux from 1975 to 1981. She married musician Billy Joel on March 23, 1985, and they had one daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. Their marriage ended in 1994, and Brinkley and Joel remained close friends.

She married real estate developer Richard Taubman in 1994, and they had a son, Jack Paris Brinkley. The marriage ended in 1995. Brinkley married architect Peter Cook in 1996, and they had a daughter, Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook. Their divorce was finalized in 2008.

Brinkley and Taubman survived a helicopter crash near Telluride, Colorado, in 1994. She later experienced years of hip pain connected to the crash and underwent a full hip replacement in 2021.

Brinkley wrote and illustrated Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book, published in 1983, and later published the memoir Uptown Girl in 2025. She also illustrated the cover of Billy Joel's 1993 album River of Dreams, for which Rolling Stone recognized her artistic work.

Her business activities have included Christie Brinkley Authentic Skin Care, Hair2Wear hair extensions, Bellissima Prosecco, and Christie Brinkley Eyewear. She has promoted Total Gym fitness equipment with Chuck Norris since 1997 and has designed clothing patterns, eyewear, jewelry, and a signature fragrance.

Brinkley has supported animal rights, environmental causes, and anti-nuclear activities. She has worked with PETA, campaigned against the restarting of the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory, traveled with the USO on goodwill missions, and received awards for humanitarian and charitable work.