Sailor saves the day! That was the gist of Christie Brinkley‘s Instagram post on Monday, September 16, hours after the news broke that the model, 65, had to quit Dancing With the Stars due to an arm injury. Her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook is taking over.
“I just broke my arm into a 1000 pieces requiring surgery with a metal plate and screws to hold my arm together. Only something like that cold stop me from continuing to dance with my wonderful coach. I was having a blast,” the Christie Brinkley Authentic Skincare founder wrote on Instagram, next to a photo of Sailor. “It was quite literally a crushing disappointment so I looked for a silver lining and I think this one is solid gold! But first I would have to convince Sailor to replace me.”
She then explained that her daughter Alexa Ray Joel had other commitments and Sailor would have to “overcome serious stage fright” in order to join. “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 feet [sic] into her own victory of courage!”
The Christie Brinkley’s Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book author also apologized if “I let anyone down,” and at the end, apologized for spelling errors in the post. “Sorry for the typos it’s my right arm,” she wrote. “Showbiz is all about getting a break and I guess you can say Sailor and I both got one on this season of @dancingabc.”
ABC announced the news on Monday, releasing a statement about the injuries.
“While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing With the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm. She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show,” ABC told Us Weekly. “Keeping it all in the family, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, a Sports Illustrated model, has chosen to quickly step in with hours to learn the entire routine and will compete in her mother’s place for the remainder of the season. We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her in the audience, whenever possible, proudly supporting Sailor.”
Sailor, who will only have hours to learn her mother’s routine before the premiere, fit perfectly into her mother’s uniform. The 21-year-old gave a statement to ABC following the news. “I felt this high of just attacking something I was so afraid of and it felt like something I need to do,” the New York native said. “I think it will change me.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Monday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
