Christie Brinkley Forced To Quit Dancing With The Stars, Daughter Sailor Steps In

Published on September 16, 2019. Updated September 20, 2019

With only hours to go before the season 28 premiere of Dancing With the Stars, the show is getting a very last minute cast change!

On Monday, September 16, ABC announced that model Christie Brinkley was forced to quit the season after suffering a serious injury in rehearsals, but her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook is stepping in to compete in her mother’s place.

“While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing With the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm. She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show,” ABC said in a statement on Monday, September 16. “Keeping it all in the family, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, a Sports Illustrated model, has chosen to quickly step in with hours to learn the entire routine and will compete in her mother’s place for the remainder of the season.”

The statement continued, “We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her in the audience, whenever possible, proudly supporting Sailor.”

“Showbiz is all about getting a break, and Sailor and I both got one on Dancing With the Stars this season. Sailor joined the cast when I got mine,” Christie Brinkley said on Good Morning America on Monday, and even while laughing said, “Ouch, somebody stop me, it hurts to laugh!”

Of her last minute participation in the popular series, Sailor added, “I’m doing this mostly for my mom! I just want to make her happy and make her proud. She loved doing this, she loves dancing and she loves performing and getting hurt was her worst nightmare. … I felt this high of just attacking something I was so afraid of and it felt like something I need to do. I think it will change me.”

Check out the full season 28 cast here.

Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Monday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.

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