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July 25, 2006
Christie Brinkley, Peter Cook, Adultery and Reputations in Crisis
PHOTO: Christie Brinkley and her husband, Peter Cook
“This is an aberration. I’m sorry. I’m contrite. I’m stupid. Foolish. No excuse.”
Commented Peter Cook, 47, Christie Brinkley’s husband, after admitting to a year-long affair with 19-year-old teen Diana Bianchi in the Hamptons.
Christie Brinkley's architect husband, Peter Cook, has publicly apologized to his estranged wife following revelations that he'd had a year-long affair with a teenage girl.
"I love my wife. I have loved her since the day I met her. Please … I love her," Cook told New York Post columnist Cindy Adams via his lawyer, Norman Sheresky. "For a lifetime, I've tried to prove how much I love her. This is an aberration. I'm sorry. I'm contrite. I'm stupid. Foolish. No excuse."
Asked about divorce plans, Sheresky said, "There is no divorce proceeding that is proceeding. Christie Brinkley has not sued her husband." Cook, he said, "hopes there's no divorce. If she wants one – and he certainly hopes this doesn't happen, but if – it will not be nasty. She can have whatever she wants."
PHOTO: Christie Brinkley in happier times
On July 12th, Brinkley, 52, announced her separation from Cook after 10 years of marriage.
One of Brinkley’s friends told People Magazine the model was devastated by the discovery of the 47-year-old Cook's relationship with former employee Diana Bianchi, 19. Bianchi's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, is investigating a possible sexual harassment lawsuit.
Referring to Cook's relationship with Bianchi, Shereksy told the NY Post that Cook "denies that any relationship with that person was nonconsensual. … As he told it to me, quote, 'I took no advantage.' "
Explaining that Cook "got involved, in over his head somehow, and he wants to make it up to (Christie) for the rest of his life," Sheresky added, "He didn't invent adultery. He didn't invent the certain kind of person who would engage in it with him, either."
On July 18th, pop singer Samantha Cole revealed that she'd had a romantic relationship with Cook a decade ago, when she herself was 19. On Monday, Cole told MSNBC's Rita Cosby that she and Cook have "maintained our friendship through the 10 years, on and off," and that he had contacted her recently to warn her that "some people might call you."
Cole said she eventually broke up with Cook when she went to Los Angeles to record an album, adding that they'd been arguing so much that it left her voice "raspy." A month after the breakup, Cole said, Cook was engaged to Brinkley.
Brinkley so far has not commented about the separation, and on Tuesday her publicist, Elliot Mintz, told the Associated Press that he didn't think she would ask him to issue a response. "This is not the way for people to have a discourse or a discussion about private matters," he said.
PHOTO: Diana Bianchi, the teen seduced by Cook
According to the NY Post, Bianchi's father, Brian Platt, a local police officer, spoke with Cook several times about the architect's relationship to his daughter and each time Bianchi’s father receiving the brush off from Cook.
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Brinkley and Cook:
Now Cook must back up his apology to Brinkley with clear and appropriate actions to save both his marriage and repair his reputation.
Peter Cook did the right thing by apologizing. However, he better be prepared to apologize over and over again if Christie, the family, friends and the public ask him about the subject for the rest of his life. That is the price he must pay for his actions. If he only wants to apologize it once, his reputation is doomed. This is an important message not only for Cook, but also for his attorney. Why? This situation is less about the law and more about reputation. His attitude moving forward will dictate his latitude.
Christie Brinkley will forever be a public figure with public responsibility..
When Brinkley signed her first modeling contract many years ago, she became a public figure with public responsibilities. This happened before she ever met Billy Joel or Peter Cook. I tell all of my celebrity clients that is the day they gained a lot and gave up a lot. They are not private citizens. They are public citizens and there is a big difference with very different expectations and responsibilities. Bottom line: Christie has a public responsibility – forever. It is something Cook, Brinkley and her entire family must understand. It might not seem fair, but the entertainment and modeling business is never fair, even when you are semi-retired. Her public status lasts a lifetime, like it or not.
The Brinkley/Cook family reputation is on the line. It is time for both parents to think of their kids, first.
Christie is already trying to protect her kids by taking them away and trying to control their access to computers, radios and newspapers. Her goal is to prevent them from hearing the stories in the news about their father and stepfather, Peter Cook. She must learn how to communicate the bad news directly to her kids. They are smarter than she thinks. They will learn the truth and it is best to learn it directly from her. If she needs help doing so, she should seek help from an expert. Is Cook thinking similarly regarding protecting his kids or is he focused on myself? He must immediately begin thinking of his family first, especially the children, to best repair the damage he has done and do the right thing moving forward. His personal reputation and the reputations of Brinkley and the entire family are all on the line. Cook needs to make some important changes in his life. Honesty, transparency, accountability, humility and consistency must key pillars in his action plan and backed up with more patience than he has ever had before.
Trust and reputation are built over a lifetime, but can be gone in seconds based on our own behavior. However, they can both be repaired with the right tools and the right heart.
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything! ™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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/Christie Brinkley/ Reputation PR Peter Cook
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