Christie Brinkley became tearful during an interview on the Today show this morning.

The 58-year-old model turned actress was on the programme to talk about her return to Broadway hit Chicago.

But host Matt Lauer asked her about her continuing battle with ex-husband Peter Cook who she divorced four year ago. She has one child with him; Sailor, and two from other relationships.

"I have turned the other cheek," Christie said about the hostile relationship. "There's not one quote from me anywhere. This is the first time I've ever been on a show, and I'm really here because next week I'm going to start promoting Chicago."

"I've endured about two weeks of all kinds of, you know, lies and stories, when actually four months prior to this this character, you know, assassination, media storm I quietly filed to protect my family from that, part of my suit, I was very clear asking the judge, please determine this on paper."

Christie, who also used to be married to singer Billy Joel, said that she has not contacted Peter in two years but that he "continues to contact me" and she has pleaded with the judge to get him to stop and has asked for a confidentiality agreement.

"I just want peace for my family," Christie said as she started to cry. "I just want peace. And every time I have any joy or any kind of success in anything, he has to try to destroy it. And the courts need to learn how to deal with this kind of situation."

The pair have not managed to settle all of their issues despite splitting in 2008 and Peter recently called Christie a "narcissistic egomaniac" in court papers.