Billy Joel Reflects on His Divorce from Christie Brinkley

Billy Joel recently shared his feelings about his divorce from Christie Brinkley during their nine-year marriage in 1994, expressing that he was “devastated” by the separation. In the second part of his documentary, “Billy Joel: And It Goes,” he noted, “I realized that love is not concrete.” He elaborated on the emotional difficulties he faced, saying, “It’s tough. And I’ve been so devastated.”

Brinkley also opened up about her struggles, saying she put her heart into their relationship but it was challenging. “I wanted it to work. I knew how lucky I was. I had music and stuff, but that didn’t make it work,” she explained.

The couple first met in St. Barts in 1983, married in 1985, and welcomed their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. Brinkley reflected on how their relationship transformed from fun to a feeling akin to work, expressing frustration over being alone while Joel was on tour. “What are you doing here? I can’t be lonely in this big house that should be full of life and laughter,” she recalled.

Joel noted that being a young father while on the road added to his struggles. “It was a very sad time for me,” he admitted. Even though he had a successful career, balancing family and work proved to be a challenge.

“I realized that love is not specific. You know, you feel that way, but you eat it and in the end you’re catching up all of it. It’s difficult. And I’ve been so devastated.”

– Billy Joel

Brinkley described herself as a “love fool” despite her four failed marriages. “I had relationships I cared deeply about, but I couldn’t be home,” he said, hinting at the pain of missing family time.

Joel reflected on his daughter knowing the realities of their situation, while Brinkley mentioned the trauma of their family structure shifting. Joel’s own childhood played a role; he remembered the impact of his parents’ divorce, particularly how his father left when he was young.

“She needed to know I was always there,” Joel said about his daughter, now 39. Brinkley added that during challenging times, Joel struggled with alcohol, which affected their relationship.

Brinkley recounted a specific argument where she decided to leave, saying tearfully, “I really can’t take this anymore, I’m just going to bring Alexa back to New York.” Joel commented on love, saying, “True love doesn’t always float in clouds and ecstasy. Most of that is pain.”

After his marriage to Brinkley, Joel married celebrity chef Katie Lee in 2004, but that ended in divorce five years later. In 2015, he married his current wife, Alexis Roderick, and they have two daughters together. The first part of his documentary premiered on HBO, with the second part set to air soon.