Brinkley 'Pleased' By Divorce Settlement

LATEST: CHRISTIE BRINKLEY has denied claims she regrets marrying her estranged husband PETER COOK, calling the settlement in their high-drama divorce trial "a very bittersweet moment."

After eight days of testimony in a New York court, the pair's agreement was announced on Thursday (10Jul08) morning, awarding Brinkley sole custody of the former couple's two children.

The 54-year-old former model told reporters she "can't really regret her marriage," adding, "It really is the death of a marriage, but it's also, I think, a new start for all of us and I'm very pleased with the results today."

She says: "I was here fighting for custody. I think a mother's greatest fear is somebody trying to take her children, trying to take custody of her children. That's what I was up against. And so I've won custody and decision-making, and that's really all I ever wanted."

Over the course of the trial, testimony included revelations of Cook's affair with teenager Diana Bianchi and his alleged $3,000 (GBP1,500) monthly porn habit, of which Brinkley remarked: "I was trying to settle the day I learned about the absolute truth about the facts, and I wanted to settle but unfortunately we could not reach an agreement until 6 o'clock this morning."

In addition to receiving sole custody of the couple's children - Jack, 13, and Sailor, 10 - Brinkley has been awarded ownership of the pair's 18 properties in the Hamptons.

She also agreed to pay Cook $2.1 million (GBP1.05million) to Cook, 49, who told reporters of the outcome: "I got everything I've been asking for two years."

Brinkley and Cook married in September 1996.