Brinkley Divorce Update

I told you last week that Christie Brinkley's divorce from Peter Cook keeps getting nastier. Looks like Cook isn't going to go down without a fight!

CHRISTIE Brinkley may regret she fought successfully to have an open courtroom in her scandalous divorce from skirt-chasing architect Peter Cook.

Sources tell Page Six that Cook's defense team plans to try to clobber the supermodel with nasty evidence that shreds her nice-girl persona. That will include claims that she has bad-mouthed ex-hubby Billy Joel in front of her children, said one top matrimonial expert familiar with the case.

"It's really bad stuff. She's going to regret an open courtroom," the source said. "They are going to present some testimony about the very insulting comments she made to the kids about Billy. Insults to the children . . . that no man wants to be insulted about."

Joel, the second of Brinkley's four husbands, wed her in 1985, two years after he wrote "Uptown Girl" for her. They had a daughter, Alexa Ray, 22, before splitting in 1994. Brinkley has two more kids, Jack Paris, 13, with third hubby Richard Taubman, and Sailor Lee, 10, with Cook.

Asked about our source's information, Cook's lawyer, Norman Sheresky, said he would not reveal details of his strategy. But, he added cryptically about the open courtroom, "One should be careful for what one asks for."

Brinkley's lawyer, Robert S. Cohen, told us: "While [Christie] wished this case would have been resolved, there is nothing that she needs to fear. She's on the side of the gods."

A source close to Brinkley insisted Joel is "very close to all three kids - he's 'Uncle Billy.' The notion she tried to poison the kids against Billy is preposterous. Peter is trying to plant falsehoods and innuendo."

The upcoming trial will be a scorcher. Brinkley is expected to bare Cook's alleged womanizing. As The Post reported exclusively last week, Cook paid $300,000 to his former teen lover, Diana Bianchi, to keep her from singing about their torrid affair.
(Source: Page Six)