When I received the email announcing that supermodel Christie Brinkley would be releasing a memoir and making a stop in Los Angeles to promote her book Uptown Girl, I didn’t hesitate for a second. Christie Brinkley is an icon I grew up watching—especially in one of my favorite childhood films, National Lampoon’s Vacation. I’ve always admired her for her timeless beauty and magnetic presence.
I vividly remember the excitement of the 1980s when three of my favorite models—Cheryl Tiegs, Brooke Shields, and Christie Brinkley—were introduced on Night of 100 Stars as “three of the most beautiful women in the world.” Over the years, I continued to follow her career, even catching her live performance in the musical Chicago at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles.
Seeing this legendary figure in person, someone who shaped so many of my teen memories, was truly a special moment.
On stage, Christie Brinkley was interviewed by none other than fellow supermodel Cindy Crawford. It was an absolute treat to witness these two iconic women sharing the spotlight. Christie looked stunning in a simple, body-hugging black top paired with navy-inspired, oversized button-up shorts—effortlessly chic and timeless.
The conversation ranged from her accidental start in the modeling world—being discovered outside a Paris phone booth at the age of twenty—to her high-profile marriages, her children, and her decades-long career in the public eye. That chance encounter in 1974 launched a rapid rise that placed her on the covers of hundreds of magazines and established her as a quintessential All-American beauty.
While discussing her past marriages, Christie shared a thoughtful perspective: “They don’t have to be bad people to divorce them, you can simply have grown in different directions. And you can acknowledge that your lives are no longer towards the same goal.”
She continued with honesty and grace: “My first two husbands, I think I did a pretty good job. I think they were both great guys. And then, there’s a fork on the road at a certain point again. I can’t really say exactly what the lesson was there, except that now you work much harder at it to stay together and then you have at a certain point you have to know when you can’t help somebody with what you think of as their issues.”
Christie Brinkley is a supermodel, photographer, humanitarian, actress, bestselling author, entrepreneur, illustrator, Smile Train ambassador, and an advocate for children’s environmental health and wellness. She is also the creator and owner of Bellissima Wines and Prosecco, as well as the clothing line TWRHLL—and a proud mother of three.
With a career spanning five decades, Christie has been photographed on six continents, in over thirty countries, and has graced the covers of more than five hundred magazines worldwide.
In Uptown Girl, Christie Brinkley reflects on a life lived both in the spotlight and behind the scenes, exploring the journey from the girl she once was to the woman she is today. Her stories are equal parts inspiring and revealing, as she revisits pivotal moments that shaped her—ranging from the pain of her biological father’s betrayal during childhood, to her enduring love for art, her fast-paced rise in the modeling world, and her four turbulent marriages—including the emotional fallout from her divorce from Billy Joel.
Purchase “Uptown Girl: A Memoir Christie Brinkley on Amazon
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