(September 21, 1996 - October 3, 2008) (divorced) 1 child
In 1996, to architect Peter Halsey Cook (born January 1, 1959). Cook and Brinkley first met in 1979 when he was modeling; their paths also crossed a few times after that. They were later reintroduced by a mutual friend, NBC's Jill Rappaport, and announced their engagement in August 1996. They married on September 21, 1996 at a ranch in Bridgehampton, New York. Brinkley was 42 and Cook 37. They had nearly 120 guests at their wedding, including Billy Joel. They had one child, Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook. Cook adopted Jack, Brinkley's son with former husband Taubman, when he was four years old. They divorced on October 3, 2008. The divorce proceedings, held in 2008, attracted media attention after Cook admitted that he had committed adultery with eighteen-year-old Diana Bianchi. Press and public interest increased with Cook's revelations that he had paid a large sum of money to Bianchi in the hopes of forestalling a lawsuit, and had spent thousands of dollars each month on internet pornography. Brinkley and Cook settled out of court on July 10, 2008, with Brinkley granting her fourth husband $2.1 million in exchange for custody of their two children and the retention of 18 disputed properties in the Hamptons. Brinkley was given sole physical and legal custody of Jack and Sailor, while Cook was given visitation rights with seeing them every other weekend and one school night a week. Further details of the settlement were kept private. The children became a focus of public attention when Brinkley contended that Cook used "overwhelming" physical force when unhappy with or disciplining the children. Alexa Ray Joel, Brinkley's daughter with former husband Billy Joel, testified about such behavior toward her, which Cook denied. Cook wanted a judge to appoint a parenting coordinator, demand that Brinkley enroll in anger management classes and order her to cover his legal expenses. In July 2008, a court-appointed psychiatrist, speaking during child custody proceedings in Brinkley's fourth divorce, testified that while he believed Brinkley should gain custody of her and Cook's children, both she and Cook needed therapy. Her divorce from Cook was officially finalized on October 3, 2008.