Christie Brinkley Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis: ‘We Caught the Basal Cell Carcinoma Early’

Model and actress Christie Brinkley revealed her skin cancer diagnosis in a vulnerable health update to fans, showing the extent of her condition. 

“The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early. And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior,” Christie, 70, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, March 13. “The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection! I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener, I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat,” she continued. 

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The Sports Illustrated icon continued to give sage words of wisdom to her followers amid her skin cancer news, telling fans that “regular total body check ups” are a “MUST!” In fact, it wasn’t even Christie’s own medical appointment when her cancer was found, but one of her children’s. She shares daughter Alexa Ray Joel with ex-husband Billy Joel, and daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook and son Jack Brinkley-Cook with ex-husband Peter Cook.

“I was lucky to find mine, because I was accompanying one of my daughters to HER check up,” Christie explained. “The Doctor was looking at each freckle with a magnifying glass… it wasn’t my appointment so I wasn’t going to say anything but at the VERY end I asked if he could just look at a little tiny dot I could feel as I applied my foundation . He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy!”

Christie shared that the biopsy was done “then and there,” and she was fortunate to have luck on her side.

“So make your own good luck by making that check up appointment today. And slather up my friends!” she concluded, before thanking her New York-based medical team for their support.

Christie’s post received an outpouring of supportive comments from fans and family, with daughter Alexa writing, “Love you Mom… let’s get Arnica Cream & Supplements, it’ll help your skin heal faster.” Actress Rosario Dawson also chimed in, writing, “So glad that you are okay! Blessings to you love.” Daughter Sailor additionally left a series of heart emojis.

Accompanying her daughter to a medical appointment is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Christie’s close relationships with her children. Fans will remember when the model competed on season 28 of Dancing With the Stars, but was forced to drop out of the competition due to breaking her arm. When all seemed lost on competing, Sailor, 25, stepped into her mom’s dancing shoes.

Opening up about the importance of staying involved with her kids and learning from them in the process, the model told Us Weekly in November 2023, “I find that they open up horizons for me all the time, and I love that about staying connected with my kids.” She continued, “I think it keeps me feeling invigorated and interested and excited about everything around me. So, there’s a real energy exchange there that’s just a beautiful thing.”