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Christie Brinkley settles divorce case

NEW YORK
Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:23pm EDT

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former supermodel Christie Brinkley's sensational divorce to her fourth husband ended abruptly on Thursday with a settlement, a spokeswoman for Brinkley said.

Entertainment  |  People

"After five days of trial and for the sake of their children, Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook have reached an agreement," spokeswoman Amy Jacobs said in a statement.

Cook revealed during testimony he had an affair with his 18-year-old assistant and spent $3,000 a month on Internet pornography. Brinkley, who asked for full custody of the couple's two children, said that her "perfect life" had been shattered by the revelations.

The settlement was reached at 6:15 a.m. after all-night negotiations, Jacobs said.

"I didn't want this trial. It's humiliating for all of us," Brinkley had said on the witness stand in New York family court in Central Islip, Long Island.

The agreement awarded Brinkley, 54, full custody of the children, aged 10 and 13, and gave Cook, 49, a financial settlement of $2.1 million as well as "parenting time."

Brinkley will retain all of the couple's properties, including 18 in the Hamptons, which were at dispute because Cook had advised the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model to buy them during their 10-year marriage.

The couple had spent the opening five days of trial trading allegations about whether Cook was a fit parent.

Cook responded by suggesting that Brinkley, who requested that the press be given access to the trial, was out to shame her husband publicly and had bad-mouthed him to their children.

The relationship ended when Cook began an affair with his assistant, Diana Bianchi, whom Cook said he paid $300,000 not to go to the media.

Brinkley testified she learned about the affair when Bianchi's stepfather approached her at a high school graduation ceremony where Brinkley had delivered a commencement speech.

Brinkley was previously married to artist Jean-Francois Allaux, pop singer Billy Joel and Richard Taubman.

(Editing by Daniel Trotta)



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