Christie Brinkley dropped out of Dancing With the Stars just hours before the season 28 premiere, with her daughter, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, 21, stepping in to replace her. After the news broke, Christie took to Instagram to comment on the situation herself, while also praising her daughter for making this last minute decision. “I just broke my arm into 1,000 pieces requiring surgery with a metal plate and screws to hold my arm together…I’m so sorry!” Christie wrote. “Only something like that could stop me from continuing to dance with my wonderful coach…I was having a blast!”
The gorgeous model described the injury as “quite literally a crushing disappointment.” However, she also said that she’s found the “gold lining” in the situation — that her 21-year-old daughter will be on the show instead. “Sailor would have to overcome some serious stage fright!” she wrote. “Sailor always meets her challenges head on and realized she did not want to be defined by her fears so with just hours to learn my routine, she is turning my defeat — or should I say two left feat — into her own victory of courage! So ladies and gents, I give you my beautiful daughter, Sunflower Sailor Lee. And I think you are all going to have a blast together.”
Christie has been practicing with her professional dance partner for several weeks already, so Sailor certainly has a lot to learn ahead of the live premiere at 8:00 p.m. on ABC. Just hours before Christie posted her emotional Instagram message, she shared a video of herself in her blue dancing costume, and it didn’t look like there was any sign of an injury, so this truly must have happened at the last minute!
“We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her in the audience, whenever possible, proudly supporting Sailor,” ABC and BBC Studios said in a statement. Hopefully she’ll be able to proudly cheer on her daughter, even though she can’t be on the dance floor herself!