'Dancing With the Stars' Replaces Christie Brinkley at the Last-Minute After the Model Injured Her Arm

From Woman's Day

This season's contestants on Dancing With the Stars have been gearing up for weeks for tonight's premiere episode. But a last minute injury has caused the ballroom competition show to swap out one of its contestants just hours before the cast is set to showcase its dance routines.

DWTS announced earlier today via Instagram that actress and model Christie Brinkley suffered serious injuries to her wrist and arm, and was required her to undergo surgery. Luckily for Brinkley fans, they'll have someone very close to the actress to root for: her daughter, Sports Illustrated model Sailor Brinkley-Cook.

"While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing with the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm," The DWTS Instagram post reads. "She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show. 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. We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her in the audience, whenever possible, proudly supporting Sailor. #DWTS"

Brinkley appears to have kept a sense of humor about the whole situation, joking in a statement to Good Morning America that, "showbiz is all about getting a break, and Sailor and I both got one on Dancing with the Stars this season."

Sailor then told GMA, “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." She later added, "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.”

Thankfully, 21-year-old Sailor fit perfectly into her mom's dance costume, so she'll definitely look the part, even though she's had significantly less rehearsal time than the other contestants.

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