Christie Brinkley has opened up about her steamy sex life in new tell-all memoir, Uptown Girl. The book details her love affairs, taking the reader on a rich journey through the artists romantic conquests. It showcases her first love, Jean Francois Allaux, a French illustrator she is said to have met soon after moving to Paris at 19. Brinkley recounts the joys and heartaches of her popular ride through four marriages. Through it all, she maintains her conviction that love is real and possible, despite the pain she has experienced.
Brinkley’s first major romance blossomed when she moved to Paris, where she hoped to train as a painter. Allauz’s influence was profound. It was during this transformative period that she began to study under Allaux. The young couple moved into a tiny basement studio together, and their connection only grew stronger. In 1975, they married, setting Brinkley off on a lengthy path of her own down the aisle. That marriage unraveled and divorced in 1981.
After her brief first marriage, Brinkley soon found love with musician Billy Joel. The pair married in 1985 and lived together blissfully for ten years before separating in 1995. Their relationship inspired one of the happiest and most productive chapters of Brinkley’s long life, which was marked by mutual humor and creativity. She fondly recalls their time together, stating,
“We laughed like you couldn’t believe.” – Christie Brinkley
Brinkley’s third marriage was to architect Peter Cook, with whom she had a son together, Jack. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1994. This arrived amid a very publicized custody dispute for their daughter, Sailor. Looking back on this chaotic time, Brinkley reflected on the psychological burden it had on her.
“I didn’t say anything to anybody,” she says of their scandalous split. “But one day, when I came out of the courtroom I said, ‘Google a narcissist.’ The letters started pouring in and I had so many women saying ‘Thank you … I realize other women are going through it.’” – Christie Brinkley
In Uptown Girl, Brinkley takes the plunge into her love life. She opens up about her difficult past childhood and her record-shattering career as a supermodel. Through an unflinching yet humorous lens, she exposes how all of these experiences have informed her understanding of the fluidity of love and what relationships mean. The third transformative experience in her life was during her recent, third divorce when she first saw a forensic psychiatrist. She remembers how he judged her willingness to love, and she remembers how he gave that assessment.
“He said he didn’t think I would ever be able to fall in love again and trust anybody again.” – Christie Brinkley
Though faced with these hurdles, Brinkley is still an optimist when it comes to love. Marsh conveys her hope that love is a miracle to be cherished while recognizing love’s exquisite danger.
“Love is something that you have to cherish while you have it and nurture it, but you can’t hang onto it and you can’t change it or mold it to your desires.” – Christie Brinkley
Readers will find emotional stories that connect to the spirit, in Uptown Girl. Brinkley’s illustrations and rare behind-the-scenes photos further enrich her storytelling, making for a powerful experience. In doing so, through these personal reflections, we get a sense of the unshakable resilience that has forged her life.
Brinkley deeply enjoys her blossoming friendships and journey of self-discovery. She is very receptive to love re-entering her life one day.
“Because to go from the experience I’d had with my [biological] father and the other things that had happened in my life,” she explains, “he thought it was just way too much so that’s probably why I’m not with anybody now but that’s not to say there’s not some miracle guy out there – but it’s okay if it doesn’t happen.” – Christie Brinkley