Claim: Christie Brinkley was engaged to Billy Joel.

Christie Brinkley -LRB- born Christie Lee Hudson , February 2 , 1954 -RRB- is an American model and actress . Brinkley gained worldwide fame beginning in the late 1970s with three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers through 1981 . She spent twenty five years as the face of CoverGirl -LRB- the longest running cosmetics contract of any model in history -RRB- , has appeared on over 500 magazine covers , and has signed contracts with major brands -- both fashion and non-fashion .   Brinkley went on to work as an actress , illustrator , television personality , photographer , writer , designer , and activist for human and animal rights and the environment .   Brinkley has been married four times , most notably to musician Billy Joel , several of whose music videos she appeared in . Her fourth marriage , to architect Peter Cook , ended in a much-publicized 2008 divorce .   With a career spanning more than three decades , magazines such as Allure , Playboy , and Men 's Health have named Brinkley one of the most attractive women of all time . Her financial holdings in 2008 were worth an estimated US$ 80 million , primarily as the owner of real estate . In February 2012 , she was ranked third in the Daily Mail list `` World 's 20 richest models . ''