Filed under 'Christie Brinkley'

Supermodel Christie Brinkley has had a tough year. She's been through a very long divorce with her ex-husband, chef Peter Cook; nursed her daughter, through an overdose, and she's also had to deal with her ill father, who suffers from both Parkinson's and scoliosis.

In an in-depth profile for Ladies Home Journal, Christie is described as "deeply devoted to her family." The piece reveals details of the night Christie called her daughter Alexa's cell phone and was instead greeted by one of Alexa's girlfriends, who told her that she and Alexa were en route to a hospital. Her strategy for helping Alexa through the pain of her was to listen. "Your job as a parent is to listen," she continues. "And to dole out as much love as you can. That includes tough love."

Despite the pain of her life recently, Christie still feels blessed. Her key to a positive attitude is to keep things in perspective. She says, "I am happy. I've dealt with a lot of stress and drama and trials and tribulations. But there are people who wake up with no legs or no eyesight. Everyone is faced with their circumstances. You try to appreciate what you have."

Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, spoke to People this week about her recent bout with severe depression. Alexa, who was hospitalized on December 5 for an overdose, said those days were like "a black hole." She blames the depression on a rough breakup with her former bassist, Jimmy Riot.

While there were rumors that Alexa was depressed over a fight with her mother over her weight, Alexa denies the fight ever happened and says her mother appreciates her looks: "Nobody is more supportive of my physical appearance than [my mother]. She tells me – which I don't understand – that she wishes she looked like me, that I'm so much more unique than her."

Someone else also appreciates Alexa's looks: she's set to rep Prell shampoo, just like her mother did 25 years ago! Still, she wants to be known as just Alexa and not the daughter of celebrities: "And I like to think that my music and my voice are different than my father's and my look is very different than my mother's. Can't I just be me?"

Model mom Christie Brinkley and her 23-year-old daughter Alexa Ray Joel were all smiles as they posed for a pic at Shelter Island, NY, where they are spending the holiday weekend.

Alexa Ray, an aspiring singer/songwriter, is following in the musical footsteps of her famous father Billy Joel. She recently wowed the crowd at the 6th Annual Club Starlight benefit gala in New York.

After a marathon negotiating session to end their 10-year marriage, the ugly divorce trial between Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook finally ended at 6 a.m. this morning.

The main issue being resolved was custody of the couple's two children, Jack, 13, and Sailor, 10. Christie was awarded sole custody and final decision-making power over the children. Cook is permitted visitation and will be consulted regarding decisions about the children. Christie also retained ownership of all real estate holdings and her boat "Sweet Freedom." She agreed to pay Cook a flat amount of $2.1 million, which mainly covered his legal costs. The rest of the terms remain confidential.

The five-day trial included a string of witnesses and allegations against Peter's pornography addiction, his infidelities and his overall unstable nature.

Source: The New York Post

Photo: Bauer-Griffin, June 26