Veteran model and actress Christie Brinkley has come out to share her thoughts about her divorce from ex-husband, Billy Joel, in her upcoming memoir, Uptown Girl. The duo decided to part ways in 1994, ending their nine-year marriage in the process. In the said memoir, she talked about the initial stages of her relationship with the “Piano Man” singer, as well as the reason behind their split.
So, here are all the details on what Brinkley had to say about her and Joel’s separation.
What did Christie Brinkley say about Billy Joel divorce?
The National Lampoon’s Vacation actress, who has appeared on over 500 magazine covers, disclosed in her memoir that her ex-husband’s struggle with alcoholism led her to call it quits on their marriage.
As per an excerpt shared by People from her forthcoming book, Christie Brinkley noted, “To be clear, I never wanted to end things with Billy. But his drinking was bigger than the both of us.”
Brinkley further explained her state of mind towards the conclusive phase of her marriage with Joel, writing, “In the end, when the relationship isn’t functioning the way you want it to be anymore — that’s the worst kind of loneliness because you just can’t make it work together and that’s painful.”
Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley spent 11 years together, which included a dating period of two years, before their divorce. She first locked eyes with her former partner in 1983 at a dive bar in St. Barts.
Recalling how she fell for Joel, the model/entrepreneur stated, “We laughed like you couldn’t believe. But also he was so sensitive and he did all the old-fashioned things, the flowers, the notes and the poems, and the songs. He was going into the recording studio, and he was writing all these songs and saying, ‘This one’s for you.’ How could I not fall in love with him?”
After tying the knot in 1985, the pair welcomed their one and only daughter, Alexa, in the very same year. While Brinkley ultimately opted to divorce Joel due to his alcoholism in 1994, the couple remains cordial to date. She mentioned, “He lives mainly in Florida, so we don’t see him as much as when he lived in Sag Harbor, but when he comes by to see Alexa, he’ll come in and say hello.”
