Swimsuit

Christie Brinkley's daughters on body-shaming and insecurity before SI shoot: 'I grew up not loving how I looked'

Christie Brinkley's daughters discuss body shaming and their first SI Swimsuit shoot.

SI Staff

Brinkleys On Set 2017

This story was written by Emily Kirkpatrick and originally appeared on People.com. 

On Monday, Christie Brinkley and her two daughters, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook, proved that the supermodel genes run strong in this family, posing for Sports Illustrated’s forthcoming swimsuit edition. But just because they’ve inherited their mom’s iconic bone structure doesn’t mean these young ladies have always felt confident enough to pose in a two-piece for a major magazine. After the initial image of them with their supermodel mom was released, both Joel and Cook wrote lengthy essays on their Instagram accounts encouraging other girls to love themselves and their bodies.​

Her half-sister Alexa Ray Joel, 31, had similar thoughts to share, writing (over the course of a few Instagrams from the shoot), “Let’s STOP degrading and START celebrating ourselves and others, from both the inside AND out. There's far too much degradation, competition, insecurity, and unhealthy standards associated with women and their bodies- particularly on social-media … We are all perfect, just as we are. Please know that. Thank you @si_swimsuit for showcasing all heights, shapes, and sizes. For within our distinctions, our quirks, and our self-perceived ‘flaws’… therein lies the beauty.”

In a second post she added, “This was a lesson in learning to let go, take the plunge, and embrace myself from both the inside AND out- which is something I struggle with each and every day. My purpose is to now pass along this lesson of unconditional self-love and self-respect to every woman who’s willing to listen.”

And mom Christie weighed in on her own insecurities during the shoot, writing on her Instagram, “Thank you Sports Illustrated for sending the powerful message that good things come in packages of every size and do not come with an expiration date!” (She also added the cheeky note, “My kids think I walk on water, so let’s not mention the apple box concealed just under the surface.”)

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