christie brinkley (born christie lee hudson; february 2, 1954) is an american model, actress, and entrepreneur. brinkley gained worldwide fame with her appearances in the late 1970s "sports illustrated swimsuit issues", ultimately appearing on an unprecedented three consecutive covers starting in 1979. she spent 25 years as the face of covergirl, has appeared on over 500 magazine covers, and has signed contracts with major brands—both fashion and non-fashion.