Uptown Girl: A Memoir

by Christie Brinkley

In 1974, a twenty-year-old Christie Brinkley was “discovered” outside a Paris phone booth, which set off a meteoric modeling career that would land her on the covers of hundreds of magazines and cement her legacy as an All-American icon. Although she’s lived more than fifty years in the public eye, the full story of her roller-coaster life has never been told.

Now, for the first time, Christie shares what life has been like, both in front of and behind the cameras, considering the girl she was alongside the woman she has become. Her stories are as heartening as they are eye-opening, as she recounts her most formative chapters, including the betrayal she experienced by her biological father as a child, her lifelong passion for art, her whirlwind career, her four tumultuous marriages—including her heartbreaking divorce from Billy Joel—and the harrowing experiences that almost cut her life short.

Through it all, Christie’s unwavering belief in the magic and mystery of life has been her guiding light, even during her darkest times. It is with this grace and gratitude that she tenderly chronicles the unexpected, unexplainable ways her life has unfolded, embracing every adventure and twist of fate along the traveling the world as a supermodel at the height of the model wars, living life on the road with her rock-star husband and their baby, starring in blockbuster movies and hit sitcoms, riding horses with cowboys, training with world-champion boxers, and even stepping into the spotlight on Broadway.

A bighearted, beautifully crafted memoir of resilience and self-discovery, Uptown Girl is the brave account of a life lived at full throttle and on full display.

PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Pop Culture

415 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

Christie Brinkley is a former American model.

Reviews

[Rachel Hanes]

I am currently putting this book in the DNF pile. I’ve read my fair share of memoirs, but this memoir has to be the longest, most boring one I’ve ever read. I am on page 225, and she still hasn’t even married Billy Joel yet- and she still has two more husbands to go after that. No thanks! This book is so wordy, she literally talks about absolutely nothing- well besides all the places she’s traveled…

I know, I know- I probably sound like a hater. But trust me, I’m not. I believe Christie Brinkley is one of the most beautiful women in the world. She deserved every ounce of fame that she got. However, this book is a long snooze fest, and I’m struggling to get through it. I think I will just read the condensed version of her story in People magazine, and move on (and be more satisfied-and save myself lots of time).

I’m not going to rate this book as I didn’t finish it, but if I did it wouldn’t be very good. I think my next memoir that I pick up will be Charlie Sheen’s, and something tells me that I’m going to enjoy that one a lot more than this 😎

[JaymeO · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Christie baby, you write your own script.” - Don Brinkley

Christie Brinkley’s life reads like a movie, with events sometimes so fantastical they are hard to believe. From becoming one of the first supermodels, to surviving a helicopter crash, to falling in love on her first day in Paris, she followed her dad’s mantra, and has been living life to its fullest.

Christie is not only one of the most beautiful women in the world, she is also extremely intelligent. She is a political activist, supermodel, horse cutting expert, adventure seeker, broadway actress, writer, mother, and much, much more.

I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author. She is an excellent narrator and I really enjoyed this format. My only critique is that I would have liked to have seen the photos and pictures, which do appear in the hard copy.

Christie kept detailed journals of her life experiences which she frequently references in the book. She doesn’t hold anything back, and I sometimes felt like she included too many personal details that could have been edited down. The book does end in 2012, so I was also a bit let down that I didn’t get to find out what she is up to today.

I’m legitimately shocked that she is 71 years old. Still as gorgeous as ever, Christie is a beautiful person inside and out.

What an incredible icon!

4.5/5 stars rounded down

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thumbs up for UPTOWN GIRL!
👍👍👍👍👍

UPTOWN GIRL is an inspirational and jaw-dropping "truth is stranger than fiction" memoir penned by superstar model, mother, actress, activist, and business mogul Christie Brinkley.

After being discovered by a photographer while making a phone call outside a Paris post office, this 20-year-old California native's career soared exponentially, repeatedly gracing the covers of elite magazines and appearing in advertisements for luxury brands.

Some of her many accomplishments:
* The face of CoverGirl for 25 years
* Three consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue covers
* Successful skincare and eyewear lines and multiple business ventures
* Starring roles in movies and Broadway shows
(Estimated $80 million net worth!)

An intimate look at the defining moments of her life included the physical and emotional abuse by her biological father, who relinquished his parental rights when Christie was 8 years old.

Her vulnerabilities:
* Men, men, men, men, and more men

Her divorce lawyer called Christie "a bad picker" and was graciously bestowed a "thank you" acknowledgement at the end of the book.

In addition to her four divorces, Christie's other failed relationships are openly revealed. (Ouch!)

A candid account of the 1994 Colorado heli-skiing helicopter crash that almost killed her and five others was also detailed.

I listened to the 14-hour audiobook read by Christie Brinkley, who did an outstanding job with the narration.

I was particularly impressed by the author's positive attitude, candor, zest for life, and resilience.

All the stars!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main motivation for reading this book was to read the Billy Joel years, so not surprisingly those years were my favorite part of this book. It was so interesting to get somewhat of an inside look on such an iconic person in music history.

Of course the life of a supermodel is also quite interesting to read about! In my opinion her life seems half glamour, half heartbreak.

[Reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

My goodness she marries some duds.

[Tony Farinella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christine Brinkley is a very upbeat, positive, and optimistic individual, but I found her book to be a real struggle to get into, as I didn’t feel as though I learned a lot about her as a person. A good chunk of the book talks about her modeling career, traveling, family, and relationships. However, I never felt like I really got to know her, what makes her tick, and what she’s looking for out of life. The book is superficial and lacking in detail.

Even though the advice she lives by is to “write your own script,” the book doesn’t read like a self-reflective, self
-aware, or insightful memoir. Instead, information is presented to the reader in the form of events, relationships, dates, and divorces, and it doesn’t have any real feeling or emotion behind it. Too often, she states these events matter-of-factly without allowing the reader to get an understanding of how she felt about any of it.

A relationship ends, a new one begins, and she doesn’t stop to reflect on these major life events.

Overall, I’m not saying you need to be a negative or hateful person to write a good book. However, there is a way to discuss difficult people or situations with a sense of realism and honesty. Unless you are a diehard fan of Christie Brinkley, this book will be tough to read. It is light on substance and heavy on filler.

[Traci Navarrette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The positives: appreciated a memoir written by an author of appropriate age. I also enjoyed the nostalgia as I read about the author’s early modeling career. I remember all the magazines from the era of supermodels, all of the ads, and our family has seen the movie Vacation about a thousand times. Loved hearing about the work and that industry. I also appreciated the audiobook was read by the author. The negatives: a little too long. By the third marriage i was ready for things to start wrapping up. Then a bizarre political semi-lecture was dropped in and then I was really ready to call it quits. But memoirs are an indulgence, I suppose, so what can you do?

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on audio. This was interesting but also annoying at times. The Billy Joel years were my favorite ( probably because he is my favorite!) Some things probably could have been left out since this is a 15 hour audiobook- very long. Some language 3.5 stars rounded up

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole book is about her modeling. I fast forwarded to 64% to hear about Billy Joel then after that it was all about her lavish life again. Quite the snoozefest, pass on this one everybody. You'll thank me later!

[Barbra Otten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find yourself a person who loves you like Christie Brinkley loves Christie Brinkley. She is perfection itself, read the book and she’ll tell you. If she has any faults she never reveals them. All four divorces were the man’s fault, hmmm.

I read the book to hear about her marriage to Billy Joel and roughed it out to the end. If you must read this, do not listen to her narration, she’s really bad at it. The writing is not good either.

I had a much better impression of her before this autobiography.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent autobiography.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be ok, a bit boring actually.

[Destiny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting stories but very superficial.

[Heather Baez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think about this memoir. It was ... okay? Badly in need of better editing. It was too long and oddly descriptive in places. The first half was her childhood in Malibu, her very early adult years in Paris, early modeling years, and her first marriage to a frenchman. And I don't know what happened there. I wondered if I fell asleep because of all her marriages, he seemed the most ... normal? I dunno, but then they divorced. Around 55% in, are the Billy Joel years which were honestly the most interesting. Her last two marriages went by much more quickly than the first two, and I think she was married to the last guy for 10 years. But he was so awful in the end, I guess she didn't want to focus on any happy times? But my gawd those two were losers.

While this memoir was laid out geographically (Malibu, New York & Telluride) it felt like it was laid out by the men in her life. Which is fine. She was quite open about that. Very open about her sex life. Good on ya, Chrisite. Overall, I just found it dragged in places (lots of info about various men), while I wish there had been more about the modeling industry itself, not just her rushing from various cover shoots and commercials. Not sure I'd recommend this one. She IS very positive overall and seems like an encouraging and enthusiastic mother, though.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teen, much of my allowance went to magazines, including Teen and Seventeen, with Christie's face often gracing the covers. I watched her career over the years and laughed at her schtick in the National Lampoon vacation movies. In November 1993, I was at a Billy Joel concert where he boasted about being on top of the world with his hit album and marriage to the world's top model, Christie Brinkley, and everyone cheered. But to the world's surprise, they announced their divorce five months later.

When I heard about her memoir being published, I couldn't wait to read about her life. For the most part, I found it fascinating, but after slogging through the last half, I realized she needed a good editor, as at times there were too many words used or descriptive passages were a little too long. One thing that bothered me a bit was that throughout the book, she kept stressing she was a vegetarian, yet would admit to eating fish and shellfish. (Am I being too picky? You make the call.)

But the main gist of her life and what she wanted to convey was how she lived on her terms despite her abysmal choice of men. She was always looking for the magic to happen—and it did for a while, until it disappeared due to various flaws that emerged, such as alcoholism (Billy Joel), cheating, or being money-hungry (in the space of two years, she loaned one man over 2 million dollars!). She never discussed whether she had a role in these failed relationships.

I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone interested in Brinkley's varied career and personal life. She was candid about her personal life, although there were aspects she didn't disclose, but that's her prerogative. And I also get a little annoyed when celebrities feel entitled and take their money for granted, talking about their houses, exotic vacations, and designer clothes. But maybe that's just my envy showing its green head.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

She was as bland as white bread. Conceited and full of herself. As shallow as they come. I don’t know why I keep reading these autobiographies of “famous people” I keep searching to see if any of them are more than they seem-unfortunately not!

[Stephanie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much. What a life packed with glamour, adventure, and drama! I enjoyed this soooo much! ❤️

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If a gnome like Billy Joel can cheat on a gorgeous woman like this...nothing else makes sense in the world.

The book was longer than I expected and dragged in the beginning. A bit much of the French boyfriend/husband and could have used some editing.

However long it was, though, it had the oddest sensation of not telling everything, of never getting very deep. Surfacey reporting of this and that without emotion and then on to the next thing. Or I should say, the next man. Clearly she does not have good judgment in that department, particularly in her multiple marriages.

I would have liked to have heard more details about the modeling business, how she was treated by those in the business, the good and bad parts, how it made her feel as a woman to be reduced to a face, body, weight. How other models interacted. I don't need cat fights, just more in depth, personal feeling.

When it got to the Billy Joel part, it got a bit more interesting. Finally some reality of the downside-hsi drinking and cheating-and how she dealt with it. I still can't wrap my head around him with his albums of relationship advice and love songs, and then he ends up messing around on her multiple times. How she still respects him after all that...

My respect for her went up when she spoke about the last husband...sneaking into his office by the roof and ripping the AC unit out of the window with her truck...dang, girl! Her refusal to put up with the cheating and her ability to move on, her love for her kids above all.

[Paula Halcom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been a Christie Brinkley fan since I was a kid. Also a huge Billy Joel fan. Bought the People magazine with their wedding on the cover and saved it. For a long time. (It's now since lost to my youth). I even remember being upset because a girl in my class got grease from her hand lotion on one of the pictures... I mostly wanted to read this book to get an insider's view of their marriage. (And also insight into the modeling world.) But this book–and I hate to say it–was not written well. At all. Annoyingly so. For example, one paragraph (emphasis on "one.") managed to cover the death of the French president, death of her cat, and modeling as if it made sense to have that all together. Much of the book felt like asking a grade-schooler how they spent their summer and having them tell you, "We went to Disney World. I love forks. Grandma died."

I had higher hopes than this book delivered. Still a fan though.

[Xandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child of the '80s, I have read quite a few memoirs from notable figures of that decade (Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar) and generally enjoy the nostalgia hit they provide. Christie Brinkley was a memorable figure of that time, especially during the years she was married to Billy Joel. When I saw this memoir, it was an easy pick. Going in, I knew Christie had led an unusually privileged life (no surprise given that she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world) but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she has more depth than I would have imagined.

The stories of her Malibu upbringing were just mildly interesting, but once she goes to Paris the story really comes alive. I loved her Parisian experiences and her time staying on Crete. Her co-writer really captures the details... it's memoir writing for the Instagram age. (Later in the book, she also does wonders with Telluride. Book me an adventure package!)

Her love life is colorful, too, starting with a high school boyfriend who cheats on her, a first marriage to a Frenchman (who seems like a nice guy), and a few more heels, including one who dies. Billy Joel comes off mostly well, but husbands #3 and #4 are scoundrels. All of this detail is quite readable, and a strange mixture of enviable and pitiable. Whether phony or real, I found her mostly positive attitude to be commendable. She is less embittered than a lot of people.

My one complaint is that the book is simply too long, with a lot of unnecessary detail. Billy Joel doesn't even get properly introduced until 54%! Maybe Christie has fans who want to read about her photoshoots, but I got a bit bored at times. There is also a lack of psychological insight. Perhaps for privacy reasons, she doesn't offer much self-reflection about her divorces. Ricky Taubman and Peter Cook both sound like sociopaths, so it's a little strange that she doesn't wonder much about what attracted her to them. I was curious, too, to read what she might have to say about John Mellencamp, whom she dated for a while. He doesn't even get a mention, though.

Anyway, overall I did enjoy this memoir a lot. There is a lot to like about it.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Christie Brinkley’s memoir swings between strikingly personal and strangely polished. Some memories feel raw and real—like she’s letting you in on her most vulnerable moments. But other parts come off oddly stilted, as if they were AI-generated or overly edited by a ghostwriter. The emotional tone shifts, sometimes jarringly—like when she lyrically describes louvered shadows on the wall while processing the death of her race car driver ex. It’s beautiful, but also… kind of weird.

For someone who’s been through four divorces, there’s surprisingly little introspection. It was always the dudes’ fault. Instead, we’re reminded—repeatedly—to stay optimistic, drive carefully, and keep our hands at nine and three. And she has stayed upbeat, no doubt. I’ve always said the secret to life is having good hair, and Christie Brinkley might just be living proof.

Listened on audiobook as narrated by Christie herself, which, imo, is the best way to go with memoirs.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this one, I was pretty sure I would give up before I reached the end. I thought, "Um.....no."

But once the book actually started from her childhood, she became much more relatable. I liked her spirit of adventure. She showed a lot of strength. I also liked her dedication to her kids. However, some info on why her brother is never mentioned would have filled in a loud and gaping question mark.

She goes from man to man throughout the book...definitely readable. However, I felt like I wanted to shake her. Even with that said, she lived a charmed life with luck, grit, and grace. I've always been a fan. So 4 stars.

[Francine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christie seems like a sweet person but this book is just boring and very poorly written. If I were her I'd start from scratch, find a decent editor and cut out the boring details. She deserves a better biography that reflects her soul, not just a boring accounting of modeling gigs and where she's travelled and who she's married. It lacked soul, was superficial and didn't flow well at all. Chers bio was way better.

[Jan Martinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually somewhat boring.

[Lerrise · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Christie Brinkley narrates her own story, it is easy to imagine that she's smiling that cover girl smile while reading because her voice is warm, soft, and inviting. Beginning with describing a very difficult early childhood, she openly shares details from the successes and heartbreaks of her life, through being discovered as a model, the travels, the romances, and her continual optimism as life goes on. She speaks eloquently and, unless quoting someone else, without use of the foul language that seems required in too many published books these days. Despite what seemed at times like an overuse of descriptive adjectives, metaphors, and cliches, I rate this memoir 5 stars for the author's honesty and vulnerability in sharing her story.

[Kristen Amen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a decent audiobook but it felt surface level and honestly a bit shallow at times. It's a light audiobook to listen to. The author does a good job with the narration at least.

[Chantal Côté · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly tales from the Rich and Famous; with life in Paris and the Hamptons!

I learned a lot from her beginnings as a model and how she was discovered. She spends a lot of time describing how she started her career and her two first mariages.

I learned how her marriage to Billy Joel came to an end which I never knew.

Then, she completely speeds her two last marriages to the point you don’t even understand how she actually fell in love, does not talk much about her later pregnancies or even kids. She may have been trying to protect them?

However, I feel this biography was worth reading, it shows she leads her life through a great set of values but has shown really poor taste in men!

[cindie schooner-ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never judge a book by it's cover

I have followed Christie's career for years, as a small town model. I wanted to be her.
Sometimes people surprise you, and reading her memoir did, in a good way. Her zest for life, fighting for her own truth is inspiring, and I highly recommend reading about it, in her own words.
Sometimes reading famous people's memoirs are like watching paint dry, dull and boring.
Her story is not.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking about her children. How in her search for love she introduced them to so many men and drug them back and forth across the country. She seems to be a good, kind person who loves her children and I was hoping at the end that she would have told us what she learned from all of this, but she didn’t. She also never met an adjective she didn’t like.

[Sheila Cunningham · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you enjoy being read to as though you’re 5 years old, listen to the audio version. She’s breathlessly phony and superficial. She seems to see life as a movie—a very shallow one. There’s no emotion, no depth, no real honesty, and no substance. I truly don’t think there’s an authentic bone in this woman’s body. Disappointing.