Christie Brinkley and her two daughters, Sailor Cook and Alexa Joel, are one of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers out this month. The promotion they are using for their cover is body acceptance at any size and any age. The message is a good one and I have already expressed my thoughts about the messengers. Most reports speak to the three ladies’ closeness and support of each other. Sailor is balancing a burgeoning modeling career while earning a degree in design. Alexa is a singer/songwriter like her father, Billy Joel. As is the price of fame, both are dealing with a barrage of negativity from social media. Alexa has already navigated those rocky waters so she’s guiding her little sis through them now.
Christie Brinkley‘s two daughters, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook, may be making waves with their sexy Sports Illustrated Swimsuit family photo shoot, but both ladies have previously dealt with body image issues and criticism while growing up in the public eye. After all, they have famous parents — sharing a supermodel mother while Alexa’s father is legendary singer Billy Joel and Sailor’s father is architect Peter Cook.
Alexa is a singer-songwriter like her dad, and although she loves the stage now she wasn’t always a fan of the attention that comes from a life in the spotlight. The 31-year-old says she and Sailor, 18, have swapped stories about dealing with constant media attention — and oftentimes harsh criticism — while growing up.
“I was a painfully shy teenager,” Alexa admits. “Before I decided to be a performer, I was a little shell-shocked when paparazzi would be around. When you’re young, it’s easy to pick on you. There was a tabloid page that would draw things on my face. When you come from privilege, they just see you as, ‘Oh, she got it all handed to her.’”
Alexa says that she’s “very impressed” with her younger half-sister, who has a contract with IMG Models.
“She came into her own certainly sooner than I did!” Alexa shares.
Being tried in the court of public opinion may have contributed to some very dark times for Alexa. It is really nice to hear she is looking out for Sailor. Considering how ugly things got with Sailor’s dad, Peter Cook (check out CB’s post on his latest antics), Sailor has it coming at her in a few directions.
I was struck by Alexa’s line,“When you come from privilege, they just see you as, ‘Oh, she got it all handed to her.’” They way I interpret that is people felt justified in attacking her because she benefitted from nepotism and that’s not fair. She shouldn’t have to pay the price of an assault on her appearance because her last name helped her in the music industry. Also, I’m sure both ladies are talented but Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley are not middling players in their fields, they are among the best. I can’t help but think of the incredibly long shadow they will have to come out from under. I’m not saying I plan to leave all nepotistic recipients alone, just that I plan to look a little wider when judging them.
And I’m sorry but the SI shots are still bugging me. Every photo of the three of them released from this shoot so far has Christie leaning in or facing Sailor and Alexa looks like an afterthought.
Photo credit: WENN Photos
Christie Brinkley has really come across like a nutjob over the last few years. She’s gorgeous, but she’s got issues. Alexa sounds so poised and grown up, I’m sure she will be of great benefit to her younger sister, which is nice because doubtful mom will be very helpful
The leaning in towards Sailor is likely a conscious decision to have their faces framed as a mirror image of each other.
Kinda like what Reece Witherspoon was doing with her daughter.
She was likely soliciting “OMG you’re twins!” type of comments. If that was indeed her intent, she obviously wouldn’t be doing it with Alexa.
Although, I don’t believe she favours Christie so much as she resembles Peter Cook. You can’t even say she got her coloring from Christie because Cook is also blond & fair-complected.
Isn’t her father the second husband but she was adopted by Cook?
No, her son was by her second husband (the guy she married while skiing). Cook did adopt him, but don’t know if they still have a relationship.
No, she’s Cook’s daughter. Because Brinkley’s son Jack is the son of her second husband.
Ah ok thanks guys
I agree, I see more of Peter than of Christie, although Peter and Christie themselves look similar. I think she has Christie’s eyes and the rest of the face (and head shape) are Peter’s.
I’m always fascinated by family resemblance.
Christie Brinkley must have have very strong genes b/c I feel like all of her children look like their father(s). Still very beautiful but all 3 of them resemble their paternal side.
Me too. They ALL look like their dads to me
Sailor’s head is shaped exactly like her father and her features match his. But she’s blond and blue eyed so Christie (and well like her father Peter) and look-a-like quote is where the money is.
Especially if she wants to model.
It works for Christie’s daughters. Some women can look like their dads and look amazing (Frances Bean Cobain, Lisa Marie Presley). Sometimes they end up like the Willis sisters– who are by no means ugly, but are a little unconventional looking?
Her daughter Sailor looks so much like her mother.
I’m not at all impressed with Christie, she seems like a glory hog, but I am absolutely impressed with her daughters, especially Alexa. In a world of Kardashians…she could have easily evolved into one of those, she is well-spoken, tasteful and mature (I know she’s 31, but still!).
Alexa had a lot of surgery partly due to the abuse she got for her looks and her own emotional issues. I’m not sure she’s the best person to be a sound board.
No one’s perfect (not even Christie B). I’m glad for Sailor that she has a big sis who knows exactly where she’s coming from. Alexa has been there and done that and maybe learned some lessons the hard way. Maybe she can help her sister not repeat her mistakes. Maybe she’ll help her not feel alone. Maybe Sailor can even help Alexa as much as the other way around.
Seriously? So what if she chose to fix parts she didn’t like about herself. If you wear make up or color your hair you are also masking/fixing things about yourself that you feel can be improved. Give her a break.
That’s one of the biggest and best reasons for her to be a sounding board. I have a similar age difference between my baby sister and myself and although I obviously wasn’t mocked anywhere near what she endured via the web and publicly, my parents did a very good job of pointing out physical and other flaws and my self-esteem suffered it. I’ve been very determined to not let things like that (or them) affect my sister and let her know how amazing she is. I’m not really sure how her getting a nose job or being open about the depression caused by people (or pricks like perez hilton) openly attacking you, somehow nullifies her for being a kind and caring big sister.
I have always had a soft spot for Alexa just because I’m sure there have always been mean whispers about her appearance simply because she popped out of Christie Brinkley and looks 100% like Billy Joel. That had to be hard to deal with growing up. However, I do think Alexa Ray is gorgeous!
I feel like you. It must have been quite difficult, especially growing up in Hollywood where looks are everything. Despite all their wealth and privilege I don’t envy them.
I’ve always been knocked out by Alexa. I hate to talk about looks specifically, but she’s incredibly beautiful to me.
I agree – of the three, she’s the one I can’t take my eyes off of. Her eyes are especially stunning.
I’ve never understood the negative comments about Alexa. Such an exotic-looking beauty, IMO! Sailor’s a pretty girl, too, but nothing out of the ordinary; not model material.
Alexa has grown into a lovely woman, but her taste in clothing is dreadful. Sailor’s clothes are cuter, fresher, and more flattering.
Alexa has grown into a lovely woman, but in all the pictures it doesn’t seem like she ‘fits’. I don’t know if it’s simply because she’s uncomfortable, the significant age gab between her and Sailor, or the fact that it seems like they’re doing this in order to help Sailor’s modeling career take off and therefore the focus is on her, but the pictures just seem ‘off’.
Also, if Christie is trying to help launch her daughter’s career, it would probably be a good idea to actually let her have a little bit of the spotlight.
I think she dresses badly. Pretty face, weird clothes.
I think her make-up is done strangely too.
Edited to add:
Although she is a musician so maybe she’s supposed to dress like this for the genre of music she’s in. I’m not sure…
I’m told I look a lot like Alexa(same eyes) not sure if that’s a compliment or not. Considering how mean people were about her looks.
Alexa’s eyes are stunning (so is she, generally, anyone name-calling her looks needs their vision checked), so take it as the compliment it is!
I live for how the whole thread is Everyone seeing through this sh!t and saying : ” Nahh yall can keep it, sis”
I love Alexa. And while I noticed the same thing in the photos….that Mom seemed to always be leaning in to Sailor…I chalked it up to the fact that she’s still the baby of the family.
All 3 kids are good looking but Alexa Joel is the one who really catches my eye. She’s stunningly beautiful.
I have noticed the way some famous women are trying to be twinning with their young daughters. Sometimes it seems a little creepy. I’m looking at you Cindy Crawford and quite possibly you Christie Brinkley.
Well, at least the sisters have each other.
Christie Brinkley’s smile bugs me in these photos for some reason.
What is weird about these two is how much they have absolutely nothing in common, regarding their looks. Literally, they’re different to the bone.
Even in the pictures chosen for this story, Christie is leaning into Sailor and awkwardly including Alexa. I have always thought that Alexa is gorgeous, her coloring and eyes pop and her figure is completely envy worthy. I hate that people like perez attacked her because her nose was large. She looks like both her mom and dad and I’ve never found her dad (when he was younger) to be lacking in the looks department himself.