Christie Brinkley and estranged husband Peter Cook reached a conclusion early Thursday morning in their nasty Long Island divorce trial.The 6:15 a.m. out-of-court settlement followed a night of intense negotiations, People reported.
Brinkley was awarded sole custody of their 10- and 13-year-old children, and she also will retain the 18 Hamptons properties that were at dispute. She agreed to pay Cook $2.1 million, Robert Stephan Cohen, Brinkley's lawyer, told the court.
The former Sports Illustrated model and the architect had been married for a decade before Cook's 2006 affair with his teenaged assistant led to their split.
"Anyone who would run the risk of destroying this wonderful life, anybody that would chase a teenager — I mean, a young girl — where is his judgment?" Brinkley asked when on the witness stand.
Much of the trial focused on Cook's mistress and Internet sex liaisons, which reportedly cost in the thousands each month. Cook also testified that he gave then 18-year-old Diana Bianchi a $300,000 payoff after their trysts.
But the main issue regarded the custody of the couple's 10- and 13-year-old children.
Court-appointed psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Herman said that while Brinkley should have custody of the children, Cook should receive liberal access to them, as well. He added that both parents needed counseling for their personal issues, calling Cook a narcissist with a bottomless ego and Brinkley someone who should examine her choice in men.
