Here’s Peter Cook getting ready to fly off into the wild blue yonder last Friday with his kids on a small plane – and away from the uproar over the controversial interview he gave about his split from supermodel Christie Brinkley.
Cook was under court order to take Jack, 13, and Sailor, 10, out of town so they’d avoid the added media scrutiny stemming from his interview with “20/20,” but Brinkley tried to have him grounded when he decided to use a single-engine plane because she thought it was unsafe.
A source said he convinced her to let the kids take off with him by adding a second pilot on his flight upstate, and he was all smiles when he returned Monday night.
“The kids had a great time,” he said – but now he can expect another turbulent trip to court.
The Uptown Girl would have stayed married to Billy Joel if she wanted a spouse who’d sing about her relationship. She filed court papers asking a judge to smack down lowdown ex-hubby Cook for blabbing on the ABC show, a knowledgeable source told The Post.
The filing seeks to hold Cook accountable for violating the confidentiality provision of their divorce agreement, which was hammered out after their nasty divorce trial had started.
In the interview, Cook blamed his cheating and cyber-straying on the supermodel’s lack of attentiveness to his needs.
“I was seeking a connection I could not find in my own marriage,” Cook said.
If a judge finds Cook did violate the terms of the deal, he could be subjected to a $10,000 contempt-of-court fine, the source said.
Brinkley could also be allowed to respond to his allegations.
Cook told The Post he’s just trying to move on, and he wishes his ex could do the same.
“Anything I’ve done to resurrect my image for the sake of my children she finds offensive,” he said.
He also hinted that he may return fire, saying she has had “multiple breaches of the agreement.”
He also accused her of trying to micromanage his time with their kids. “It’s clear that she’s threatened by my relationship with them. Really, I just want her to leave us alone,” Cook said.
A source said Cook was aware he would be risking the fine by speaking out, but he thought the risk was worth it to help repair his reputation.
Cook’s lawyer, Steve Kuhn, said his client’s “20/20” comments did not constitute a breach of the confidentiality agreement.
Brinkley’s lawyer, Robert Stephan Cohen, was not available for comment.
Cook, a male model-turned-architect, married Brinkley in 1996, and they split up a decade later in a divorce that exposed his affair with 18-year-old office worker Diana Bianchi.
His humiliating admissions and his six-figure porn habit turned their divorce trial into front-page news, and Cook told “20/20” he’s still hurting about the “misinformation.”