Christie Brinkley’s recent appearance alongside her daughter stirred attention—not only for the cherished memories they revisited, but also for how she looks today.
At 71, Christie Brinkley reflected with her daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, on her iconic role in Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” music video, which sparked new conversations about her appearance.
As clips from the video played, Christie fondly recalled how casually the production came together, describing it as a relaxed and friendly effort among close friends.
“So that’s how the ‘Uptown Girl’ video ends—the guy and the girl ride away together. It really was just a fun time with friends,” she reminisced.
Talking about how she got involved in the video, Christie shared, “They said, ‘We need to make a music video for Uptown Girl and we’ve got this idea.’ Then someone suggested using the little gas station across from CBGB. Someone else said, ‘Christie should be the Uptown Girl. Would you do it?’ I said, ‘Sure, yeah.’”
Alexa chimed in, “Didn’t Dad always call you the Uptown Girl and himself the Downtown Guy?” Christie responded, “Yeah, he did.” She explained that the nickname had already become a running joke between them, which made filming the video feel natural.
When asked what happened after filming, Christie said, “The song was already done and recorded. It had sort of become our song. Then we shot the video—and I almost got kicked out of the Screen Actors Guild because I hadn’t told my agent. I just saw it as friends having fun.”
Their conversation took a sentimental turn when Alexa brought up the motorcycle in the video. Christie confirmed it belonged to Billy. Alexa mentioned her father’s love of motorcycles, especially classic red ones. Christie added that the motorcycle used was a Harley-Davidson.
While the moment between mother and daughter sparked warm feelings, Christie’s appearance online led to a flood of comments, many focusing on how she looks today.
On Instagram, one user said, “I wish Christie had aged naturally.” Another added, “Too much Botox, Christy [sic].” A third wrote, “Christie looks good, but something is off with her upper lip.”
Someone else commented, “Nooooo Christie, you gave in, and now you look like a blonde Priscilla Presley. Please age naturally. You went too far. It breaks my heart.”
Facebook users echoed similar criticisms. One person wrote, “She’s only 71 but looks older. She ruined her face.” Another added, “That’s definitely bad plastic surgery.” Someone else commented, “Botched facelift, Christy,” while another asked, “What did she do to her face? Way too much filler.”
A different commenter said, “You can’t even recognize her anymore. I hate plastic surgery. Even if she’s okay with how she looks, it’s sad because she lost that natural beauty she once had.”
In addition to her memories of the music video, Christie is returning to the spotlight with her new memoir, Uptown Girl, due out April 29. The book explores her modeling and acting career, personal experiences, and insights on aging in a youth-driven industry.
“In this business, people told me I’d be done by the time I was 30,” she shared in a recent interview promoting the memoir. “But when I turned 30, I climbed a mountain. I felt the best I ever had. That’s when I decided not to let age control me.”
The memoir promises a deeper look behind the scenes of her life, including stories she’s never shared before.
“When I pitched the book, they asked me, ‘Christie, is there anything left to say?’ I told them, ‘Oh yes—there’s a lot!’”
As public discussion around her appearance continues, Christie addressed the topic of cosmetic treatments. “I mostly use lasers. I’m not trying to erase every wrinkle,” she said.
She admitted to trying fillers and visiting her doctor in New York City, but emphasized she doesn’t want to look overdone. “I recently did Fraxel—mainly because I had skin cancer. It helps clear out precancerous cells. At this point, I’m doing it more for health than vanity.”
Now in her sixth decade in the public eye, Christie applauded the expanding definition of beauty in her industry. “One of the most beautiful things in the beauty world is that it now includes us ‘seasoned’ women,” she said.
Still, she noted that aging is still not widely accepted in modeling. “You see older women in fashion and magazines—but not nearly enough.”
Christie expressed hope about the changing beauty market, particularly for products aimed at mature skin.
She recalled her return to Cover Girl in 2005 at age 51. “That campaign was for products with light-reflecting ingredients that fill in wrinkles and bounce light to blur them,” she said. “I’m not saying you can’t have wrinkles—but a little softening can go a long way.”
With her memoir Uptown Girl soon to be released, Christie embraces both her past and present, proving that her story—and her voice—are far from finished.
