Christie Brinkley Reveals Her Controversial Take on Marriage After 4 Weddings

Christie Brinkley says she thinks “until death do us part” might be outdated.

The former Sports Illustrated cover girl sat down for the Aug. 7 episode of the Are You a Charlotte? podcast with Sex and the City star Kristin Davis. During the conversation, the topic turned to the concept of marriage, with Davis, 60, specifically wondering if a life-long partnership with another person was potentially “outmoded” or old-fashioned in modern times.

Brinkley, 71, responded with an unconventional suggestion.

“You could get married, like, ‘We’ll see if you want to renew it in five years,’ ” Brinkley said. “Every five years, go, ‘Do you want to renew?’ That way, if you’re getting bored or whatever, you can get out of it without all the lawyers and all that stuff.”

The Michigan-born model has been wed four times. She was married to French artist Jean-François Allaux from 1975 to 1981, Billy Joel from 1985 to 1994, Richard Taubman from 1994 to 1995 and Peter Cook from 1996 to 2006. She has three children: daughter Alexa, whom she shares with Joel, and son Ray, 30, and daughter Sailor, 27, whom she shares with Cook. 

While Brinkley may not be sold on the traditional concept of marriage, that doesn’t mean she’s given up on romance.

“I still believe in love,” she told PEOPLE in April, adding that there might be some “miracle guy out there” for her, but if there isn’t, “It’s okay.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

However, the star also admitted that she has had to learn some hard lessons in the relationship department.

“I’m too trusting, I’m a fool for love,” she told The New York Times in July. 

And as to what she’s learned from her four marriages?

“That love takes work,” she told the outlet.  “Sometimes you need to rely on experts. I wish I could have found ways to save some; I wish I hadn’t married others.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“The relationships I was in made me feel unloved,” she continued, adding that she now knows “that in the right arms, I’m lovable.”

Brinkley opened up extensively about her love life — and the lessons she’s learned from it — in her recent memoir, Uptown Girl.

“Love is something that you have to cherish while you have it and nurture it, but you can’t hang onto it and you can’t change it or mold it to your desires,” she told PEOPLE at the time while discussing the book.

The author — who is single — added that she is “very, very happy and content.”