Christie Brinkley Says Losing 2 Parents Helped Keep 3 Adult Children Close

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 5

Christie Brinkley, 72, said losing both parents less than two months apart in 2012 made family time feel finite and deepened her focus on keeping her three adult children close.
Three grown children — Alexa Ray Joel, 40, Jack Paris Brinkley-Cook, 31, and Sailor Brinkley-Cook, 28 — still return for weekends and holidays because Brinkley says she built a home where they are always welcome.
Brinkley said that openness, including inviting her children's friends, reflects the example set by her own parents, who lived in a small house on her property and were consistently present for her.
"American Summer," released Sept. 4, echoes those values, with Brinkley saying audiences increasingly want simpler stories, face-to-face connection and time away from phones.