Christie Brinkley & Ex-Husband Settle Current Custody Dispute
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Supermodel Christie Brinkley and her fourth husband settled their latest skirmish over a divorce agreement Tuesday and vowed to the judge that the pact would resolve all of their remaining issues.
The couple, who both have homes in the Hamptons on Long Island, have sparred over child custody and other issues since signing a divorce settlement in July 2008. That agreement followed several days of lurid testimony about Peter Cook's affair with a teenage store clerk and revelations that he spent thousands of dollars downloading pornography.
In the latest dispute, Cook complained that Brinkley had failed to deliver him their children's passports in time for a school trip to Egypt last year and later suggested that the supermodel be subjected to anger management counseling. Brinkley filed a counterclaim against Cook, contending that interviews he gave to Geraldo Rivera and Barbara Walters violated the terms of their settlement.
Attorneys for both sides said outside court that their respective claims had been dropped in the interest of post-marital harmony. They said a revised agreement calls for improved communications between the dueling exes on topics like the transfer of the children's passports and visitation issues.
Before signing off on the agreement, state Supreme Court Justice Mark D. Cohen obtained assurances from Cook and Brinkley that the latest pact "resolves each and every issue in this post-judgment matter."
Cook, 50, told reporters after the proceeding that he was pleased with the outcome.
"My goal all along has been to try and remove conflict so that we can go on about our lives," Cook said. "I respect my children's time with their mom, and all I ask is that she respect their time with me."
Brinkley, 55, who appeared sullen and wore dark sunglasses throughout the brief court proceeding, made references after the hearing to a Web site called "Divorcing a Narcissist."
"I think there's a lot of people out there that would benefit from Googling the site, `Divorcing a Narcissist,' and it will give you a lot of insight about what I've been going through for the past 3 1/2 years," she said.
She noted that during the divorce trial last year, a court-appointed forensic psychologist diagnosed Cook as "a narcissist who needed unending praise."
Cook has admitted having an affair with an 18-year-old woman, a liaison that blew apart his and Brinkley's decade-long marriage in 2006. Cook testified that he gave a $300,000 payoff to former mistress Diana Bianchi and had sex with her in his office and at two of Brinkley's homes in the Hamptons.
His attorneys contend Brinkley has not gotten over the anger from Cook's betrayal.
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FRANK ELTMAN | 10/13/09 04:17 PM |