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Peter Cook Says He Was Wrongly Portrayed in Christie Brinkley Divorce Case

By Chloe Bunker on October 8, 2008

Christie Brinkley and Peter CookNEW YORK — Peter Cook says the public's perception of him is all wrong, thanks to his bitter divorce battle with ex-wife Christie Brinkley.

"I'm not the scumbag pervert that I've been painted to be," he tells Barbara Walters in a 20/20 interview set to air Friday. "The misinformation that came out during the trial is the elephant in the room. It's the elephant in the room for my kids."

During the July trial, Cook admitted to having an affair with his then 18-year-old assistant, Diana Bianchi, which led to his falling out with Brinkley. The 49-year-old Cook, who says he's speaking out now with the hope of correcting "some of the wrongs," says his relationship with Bianchi came about from failures in his own home.

"I was seeking a connection I could not find in my own marriage..." he tells Walters. "I think the emotional aspect of our lives had changed. I think we were both feeling more like we were living with a brother and sister than a life partner... I think I just suddenly realized when I was getting attention from someone else that this is something that is missing in my life."

When asked what he wanted out of his marriage to the supermodel, Cook says: "I wanted a little acknowledgment, a little attention, a little thank you every now and then for my efforts, for the amount of time I took to care for her and my family, for the wealth I was building. Just the tremendous amount of work I was putting into my family. ... My world became her world. It had to be that way."

Brinkley reportedly agreed to pay Cook $2.1 million as part of their settlement. On Tuesday, her lawyer issued a statement to People, admonishing him for speaking out publicly.

"It is shocking that Mr. Cook, after having his day in court, would continue this firestorm created by his bizarre behavior by violating an agreement and court order that prohibits either party from discussing their marriage or divorce in any public way," said attorney Robert Stephan Cohen. "Ms. Brinkley plans to pursue her legal options arising from his gross disregard of the children and the court order."