36 Facts About Christie Brinkley

Christie Lee Brinkley is an American model, actress, and entrepreneur.

Christie Brinkley went on to work as an actress, illustrator, television personality, photographer, writer, designer, and activist for human and animal rights and the environment.

Christie Brinkley has been married four times, most notably between 1985 and 1994 to musician Billy Joel, having appeared in several of his music videos.

Christie Brinkley's family moved to Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, where her mother Marjorie later met and married television writer Donald Brinkley in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

Christie Brinkley was educated at Paul Revere Junior High School and attended Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles from 9th to 12th grade.

Christie Brinkley was discovered in 1973 by American photographer Errol Sawyer in a post office in Paris.

Christie Brinkley took her first modeling pictures and introduced her to John Casablancas of Elite Model Management agency in Paris.

In 2005, CoverGirl again signed Christie Brinkley, using her in ads in magazines and TV commercials for mature skin products.

Christie Brinkley was featured exclusively in the first Sports Illustrated Calendar and released two of her own calendars.

In 2005, Christie Brinkley was featured in the special Sports Illustrated 40th Anniversary Issue's Hall of Fame, celebrating the most revered figures in the magazine's history and again in 2014, in the 50th Anniversary The Legends.

Christie Brinkley has been photographed in six continents in more than 30 countries.

In 1989, Christie Brinkley was, along with Cheryl Tiegs and Beverly Johnson, one of the three models featured as dolls produced by Matchbox Toys called The Real Model Collection.

Christie Brinkley played her first acting role in the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation as "The girl in the red Ferrari" opposite Chevy Chase.

Christie Brinkley reprised that role in the 1997 sequel Vegas Vacation; later spoofed it in a 2008 DirecTV commercial, using footage from Vacation; again in a 2015 Infiniti commercial as the wife in the Infiniti ; and again in the ABC series The Goldbergs in 2019.

Christie Brinkley hosted Celebrity Weddings InStyle, the highest rated special in Lifetime's history.

Christie Brinkley made further television appearances, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue television specials and music videos for beau Billy Joel and Mick Jones "Just Wanna Hold".

Christie Brinkley had a recurring role as Gayle Gergich, the wife of Jerry Gergich, on NBC's Parks and Recreation.

In December 2012, Christie Brinkley co-hosted Anderson Live and danced with Dancing With the Stars alumnus Gilles Marini during the show.

In 2022, Christie Brinkley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Lemur" of Team Cuddly.

Since 1997, Christie Brinkley has appeared with Chuck Norris in a long-running series of cable TV infomercials promoting Total Gym home fitness equipment.

Christie Brinkley illustrated the cover art for Billy Joel's 1993 triple platinum album River of Dreams.

In 1991, Christie Brinkley was considered to have an ideal, all-American look with her blonde hair, blue eyes, slim figure, and soft features, when Allure first conducted a survey taking the pulse of the average American searching for their beauty perceptions and preferences.

In 1982, Christie Brinkley had a romantic relationship with Olivier Chandon de Brailles, heir to the Moet-Chandon Champagne fortune.

In 1994, Christie Brinkley survived a helicopter crash that occurred during a ski trip in Telluride, Colorado.

In 1973, Christie Brinkley married French artist Jean-Francois Allaux; the marriage ended in 1981 without children.

In 1994, Christie Brinkley was introduced to real estate developer Richard Taubman by a mutual friend.

Christie Brinkley proposed in May 1994 while she and Billy Joel were still married.

Christie Brinkley married Taubman on December 22,1994, in Telluride, Colorado, near the area where they were both in a helicopter crash on April 1,1994.

Christie Brinkley was 40 years old and Taubman 46 and she announced at their wedding that they were expecting a baby boy.

The marriage ended in 1995 with one son, Jack Paris Christie Brinkley, born June 2,1995.

Christie Brinkley's representative announced in July 2006 that Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook planned to separate.

Christie Brinkley began doing promotions for the team after being noticed at games.

Christie Brinkley helped found a club for cutting, an equestrian sport in which a rider has two and one half minutes to cut as many cattle from a herd as they can.

Since 1998, Christie Brinkley has given nearly $1,000,000 to organizations and candidates of the Democratic Party of the United States, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, America Coming Together and Moveon.

Christie Brinkley has been involved in anti-nuclear activities and campaigned against the restarting of the High Flux Beam Reactor located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Christie Brinkley became a vegetarian when she was 13 years old and then got her entire family to become vegetarians.