Christie Brinkley Fears Daughter Sailor's Throwing Modeling Career Away With Pot-Smoking Habit: Sources

Smoke is coming out of Christie Brinkley's ears after the image-conscious supermodel's daughter Sailor was photographed puffing pot in public in Manhattan because the mom fears the young cover girl is incinerating her fledgling career, RadarOnline.com has learned.

"Marijuana is legal in NYC now, but Christie told Sailor she doesn't need to flaunt it by openly smoking a joint on the street," an insider spilled. "Christie comes from an era where you smoked pot in private."

According to the source, the peeved parent, 69, wishes her beautiful blond look-alike — one of her two kids with cheating ex-husband Peter Cook — would emulate her work ethic and keep her nose to the grindstone.

"Christie says being seen hitting on a joint makes people believe she's not serious about her life — or her modeling career," the source said.

But insiders say that free-spirited Sailor, 24, feels her uptight mother is harshing her mellow.

"Sailor has openly talked about having body image and anxiety issues, so the pot is a wonderful blessing for her to deal with that," blabbed a friend. Regardless of Christie's disapproval, her bombshell mini-me isn't planning to quit her favorite habit.

"Getting high helps her get on with her day. She likes pot and doesn't care who knows it — or sees her smoking it," the pal revealed.

RadarOnline.com has reached out to Christie and Sailor's rep for comment.

“I grew up a little bit overweight and I felt the weight of my overweightness on me constantly from people teasing me and people looking at me differently,” Sailor explained. “It’s just crazy how that can really just shut down your self-esteem.”

She first opened up about her struggles on social media.

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“I’ve been so down on myself recently,” Christie's youngest daughter captioned a series of bikini pictures. “Crying about my cellulite, letting the fat on my body ruin my day, getting mad that i’m not as skinny as i once was," she wrote, adding, "The body dysmorphia and left over eating disorder tendencies have been coming in strong.”