‘Dancing With the Stars’: Christie Brinkley Reveals Her Arm ‘Shattered Into a Thousand Little Pieces’ in Emotional Interview

Christie Brinkly, who was just announced as one of the biggest names to appear on this season’s Dancing with the Stars, unfortunately had to walk away from the amazing opportunity after she seriously injured herself while rehearsing for her first show-stopping dance. Now, she reveals the injury that required surgery, was far worse than what she and fans originally thought.

“The second I landed, I felt the shards in my arm,” the 65-year-old model told PEOPLE. “Like, I literally felt it in my wrist, and I just instantly looked up and said, ‘I’m so sorry, I broke my arm.’”

“There’s a little bone at the thumb that usually posts one way,” she continued. “Mine was in the opposite direction. Then there was a bone, just it, it was just shattered into a thousand little pieces, just a million of little pieces.”

The fall that hindered her appearance on DWTS left her with several broken bones that required surgery to insert a plate and screws to repair the broken arm. On top of that, she dislocated her wrist and twisted her ankle earlier in practice.

While the physical toll is painful, the mental side of the injury feels a bit more damaging.

“I’m telling you I was having the time of my life,” she said. “So it was really, really a crushing, crushing disappointment in every way. Literally, figuratively everything that happened. And one of the worst feelings is to feel like you’re letting anybody down, you know?”

Now that Brinkley will not be competing against other stars like Hannah Brown and Lauren Aliana, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook is stepping in to fill the position.

“I’m doing this mostly for my mom! I just want to make her happy and make her proud,” the 21-year-old told Good Morning America. “She loved doing this, she loves dancing and she loves performing and getting hurt was her worst nightmare.”

“Showbiz is all about getting a break and Sailor and I both got one on Dancing with the Stars this season,” the model said of her daughter. “Sailor joined the cast when I got mine … ouch somebody stop me, it hurts to laugh!”

Sailor shared a photo of her first performance to her Instagram account, thanking everyone who helped make it a possibility, given the fact that she only had hours to prepare for her mother’s routine.

“Wow. I have so much to say but for right now i’m just going to say THANK YOU!” she posted. “To my incredible partner [Val Chmerkovsky] for being so patient, my mama for being so courageous and inspiring, the whole dancing with the stars cast and crew for their kindness, & everyone who tuned in and showed so much love and support.”

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.