Christie Brinkley is opening up about her marriage to Billy Joel in her new memoir, “Uptown Girl.” The supermodel and actress reveals the challenges they faced during their nearly decade-long relationship, particularly Joel’s struggle with alcohol. “Booze was the other woman, and it was beginning to seem that he preferred to be with ‘her’ rather than with me,” Brinkley writes. She admits she did everything she could to save their marriage, including reading self-help books and seeing therapists together.
However, Joel’s drinking proved to be a significant barrier. Brinkley recounts incidents where Joel would disappear for days at a time, even missing essential events like their daughter Alexa Ray’s fifth birthday and Thanksgiving dinner. The breaking point came during a band rehearsal at their home.
“He was acting delusional in a way I’d never seen before,” Brinkley reveals, describing how Joel became convinced his bandmates had eaten his pasta after he’d already consumed it. The next day, Brinkley told Joel she wanted a divorce. “To walk away from Billy was not easy,” she says.
“At a certain point, there’s one incident too many, and you just have to have a little self-preservation.”
Despite the difficulties, Brinkley reflects on their relationship as an “amazing time” in her life.
Marriage challenges with Billy Joel
The couple, who were married from 1985 to 1994, first met on a night out.
Interestingly, Joel also met his ex-girlfriend, Elle Macpherson, that same evening. The memoir’s title, “Uptown Girl,” is a nod to Joel’s 1983 hit song, which he confirmed was written about Brinkley. “I wasn’t even dating Christie when I started writing the song; I was dating Elle,” Joel shared in a 2010 interview.
Since their divorce, both Brinkley and Joel have moved on. Brinkley was briefly married to Richard Taubman in 1994 and later married Peter Cook, with whom she has two children. Joel married Katie Lee in 2004 but split in 2009; he is now married to Alexis Roderick, and they have two daughters together.
Brinkley remains optimistic about finding love again. “I find love is the strongest thing in the whole world, and we are surrounded with love,” she shares. “There are so many kinds of love: love for our friends, love for our families, love for nature, and love for people that protect nature.”
“Uptown Girl” offers a candid portrayal of Brinkley’s life and relationship with Joel, shedding light on the complexities behind the glamour.
The memoir is scheduled for release on April 29.
