Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Christie Brinkley Gets Full Custody in Divorce Case
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 10, 2008
Modified Jul 10, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 10, 2008
Modified Jul 10, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The cruel and revelatory divorce proceedings between Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook ended at 6 a.m. this morning, with the sides announcing a settlement. Brinkley's lawyer Robert Cohen said in the courtroom, "It is my pleasure to report to the court that with much hard work ... we reached an agreement."
The former couple had been fighting over custody of their children as well as other properties they acquired together, and it appears Brinkley was victorious: She was granted full custody of the children, plus keeps the properties. Brinkley will pay Cook, an architect, $2.1 million, mostly for legal costs.
Brinkley told reporters, "I was here fighting for custody. I think a mother's greatest fear is somebody trying to take their children ... That is what I was up against. I have won custody and decision-making and that's all I ever wanted." As for Cook, he said, "I've got everything I've been asking for for two years"--everything except for the joint custody of the kids.
Cook's infidelities and indiscretions--hiring an 18-year-old toy store clerk to be his assistant, later bedding her and paying her $300,000 for her silence; a $3,000/month Internet porn habit--were spilled in the few days of testimony. The judge told the pair he hoped they would provide "normalcy, stability and love for their children as they move forward...It's very much the (hope) of this court that this resolution allows the children and the parents to move on with the rest of their lives."
Tagged
affair
christie brinkley
custody battle
divorce
peter cook
settlement
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
Federal prosecutors say Anthony Herbert took more than $100,000 in undisclosed payments from a nonprofit that received funding for community programs, including at NYCHA complexes.
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 1:32 p.m. ET
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
The $1.9 billion project isn't expected to wrap up until 2032.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
The $1.9 billion project isn't expected to wrap up until 2032.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Former NYPD detective held on $1M bail after police say he shot driver on GWB
By
Brittany Kriegstein
MTA suspending bus fare enforcement teams after altercations emerge
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
NYC's horse carriage industry facing potential extinction with Thursday Council vote
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .