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Christie Brinkley teared up during a "Today" show interview Tuesday as she discussed her contentious, ongoing divorce battle with ex Peter Cook.
"I just want peace for my family," Brinkley told Matt Lauer . "I just want peace and every time I have any joy he has to try to destroy it."
Though Brinkley and Cook divorced four years ago, their split landed back in the spotlight this month when Cook appeared on a number of television shows to counter Brinkley's claims that he owes her child support and has sent her "inflammatory" emails. During a March 7 interview with "Nightline," the 53-year-old architect claimed that Brinkley was trying to "publicly castrate" him in order to drum up publicity for her role as Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of "Chicago."
After enduring two weeks of what she calls a "character assassination" and "media storm," the 58-year-old model told Laurer that she now felt compelled to speak out.
"I have turned the other cheek. There's not one quote from me anywhere. This is the first time I've ever been on a show, and I'm really here because next week I'm going to start promoting 'Chicago' and this became such a big deal," Brinkley said, adding that she's turned down numerous invitations from media outlets in order to maintain the couple's confidentiality agreement.
Brinkley and Cook split in July 2006 after 10 years of marriage and two children together. Their subsequent divorce became a media frenzy centered around Cook's reported porn addiction and affair with then 18-year-old Diana Bianchi, which reportedly caused the split.
To see more of Brinkley's interview with Lauer, watch the video above.