Oct 13, 2009 2:00 pm US/Pacific
Brinkley, Cook Take Bitter Shots In Divorce Battle
Supermodel Calls Ex-Hubby A 'Narcissist,' While He Calls Her 'Angry, Vindictive Woman'
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Christie Brinkley berates ex-husband Peter Cook to reporters during their bitter divorce battle at a Riverhead court on Oct. 13, 2009.
CBS
As if the divorce wasn't ugly enough. On Tuesday, supermodel Christie Brinkley and her ex-hubby Peter Cook were taking some nasty shots at each other.
The bitter battle is playing out in a Riverhead courtroom. The supermodel was ordered to show up as the two settle some emotional "post-divorce" disputes. It was supposed to be a simple meeting between lawyers to approve a custody agreement, but when it comes to Brinkley and Cook, nothing is ever simple.
"She is a bitter, angry, vindictive woman. And you think I'm the first? I'm number 4!" Cook told reporters after the meeting, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City.
"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 and ½ years," Brinkley said.
Brinkley said Cook broke up their celebrity marriage when he took up with a teenage intern in his architect's office, and then allowed his current girlfriend to spend time with their kids on the boat the couple once shared.
Cook claims the supermodel is trying to sabotage his relationship with their children, Jack and Sailor.
As attorneys were about to report that an eleventh hour settlement had been reached regarding custody and visitation rights, the hurling of charges and countercharges continued.
"This is parental interference. I'm not going to put up with it. It's not about a stupid girlfriend on a boat, this is about a mother keeping her child from a father that he loves," said Cook.
Brinkley's attorney Peter Coronia said that interviews he gave to Geraldo Rivera and Barbara Walters violated the terms of their settlement.
"Since Mr. Cook lost his custody in the original divorce trial, he has been relentless in a smear campaign against Ms. Brinkley. He has tried repeatedly to tarnish her image," he said.
Brinkley said her ex-husband violated their divorce's confidentiality agreement by gabbing to the national press after serving her new legal slugfest papers during her children's school holiday concert last year.
"The court-appointed forensic psychologist diagnosed him as an extreme narcissist and that's all I want to say," Brinkley told reporters.
Cook said his ex-wife is just out to make for negative publicity about him.
"She doesn't care about what's said in here. She cares about what you all say," he said.
But after 10 minutes, before a Supreme Court justice, the two sides signed papers resolving their legal issues and ended the court fight.
The judge, who held out hope a new trial would be avoided with a last minute deal, said he was pleased the children would be spared from the media spotlight.
The agreement, according to Brinkley's lawyers, tightened the language regarding the children's passports and increased Cook's summer visitation rights. When their nasty divorce trial ended last year, she got custody of the kids and kept the property.
He received $2.1 million from Brinkley.
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