The model and actress is being replaced by her daughter, Sailor Brinkley-Cook.
Christie Brinkley’s time in the ballroom is over before it even began. Ahead of the Monday night premiere of the new season of Dancing With the Stars, the 65-year-old model and actress has left the show.
The ABC competition series announced the news on Monday morning, revealing in a statement that Brinkley had suffered injuries during rehearsals.
“While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing With the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm,” the statement reads. “She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show. 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.”
On Good Morning America, it was announced that Brinkley had “shattered” her arm during rehearsals. GMA also shared the clip of the moment that Brinkley fell, causing the injury.
Sailor had been flying out to support her mom on the show, when she got the call.
“I’m literally about to take off, two minutes to take off, and my mom calls me and says, ‘Sailor, you’ve got to save the day,’” Sailor tells GMA. “I freaked out and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I’m so scared.’ And then I met with everyone from Dancing With the Stars and my partner and I felt this high of like just attacking something that I’m so afraid of seemed so incredible to do.”
As for her mom, Sailor says she’s trying to see the light in a dark situation.
“She cries every five minutes over the fact that I’m doing this and the fact that I’m taking over,” she reveals. “She always calls it the ‘silver lining.’ We found the silver lining in a terrible situation.”
In a statement to GMA, Brinkley says, “Showbiz is all about getting a break and Sailor and I both got one on Dancing With the Stars this season. Sailor joined the cast when I got mine… ouch somebody stop me, it hurts to laugh!”
It’s clear the exit was sudden, as Brinkley was posting about her excitement to join the show as recently as Sunday night.
“I’m so excited for tomorrow’s show! @dancingabc,” she captioned a Boomerang and photo of herself in a blue dancing costume. “‘To live without risk is to risk not living.’ — Pope Pius.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Prior to her injury, Brinkley opened up to ET about her chances on this season of DWTS, watch below:
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