Christie Brinkley Reveals Shocking Stories During ‘Toxic’ Marriage to Billy Joel

Christie Brinkley is opening up like never before about the highs and lows of her iconic but emotionally draining marriage to Billy Joel—revealing her ex’s drinking, alleged infidelity, and the private pain that eventually drove her to walk away.

In a candid interview on the Totally Booked with Zibby podcast, the 71-year-old supermodel discussed her new memoir Uptown Girl and shared how difficult it was to write about the “Piano Man” singer, who is now battling a brain disorder.

“I don’t like to ever say anything bad about anybody,” Brinkley admitted. “But I needed to explain myself—why would I ever have walked away from that relationship that was so wonderful, so beautiful?”

Brinkley said she “tried everything” to make their marriage work, from building the perfect home life to constantly reassuring Joel of her love. But in the end, she felt she had to save herself.

“I had to do something, just to preserve my own soul at that time,” she said.

The couple, who married in 1985 and divorced in 1994, had been together for nearly a decade, but Brinkley revealed there were several key moments that broke her down—many tied to Joel’s battle with alcohol and suspicions of cheating.

“His behavior hurt me,” she said plainly. “There were maybe four instances in the book where I describe this, and in context, I think it’s understandable. He was under stress no one should have to deal with. But booze was the other woman, and it seemed like he preferred being with ‘her’ rather than with me.”

Brinkley recalled one particularly devastating moment—New Year’s Day 1994—when Joel came home late and she finally asked him to leave. “I never wanted to end things,” she wrote, but the marriage couldn’t survive one more blow.

Although she notes in her memoir that Joel always denied any affairs, she also says she never truly stopped believing him. Still, the doubt and damage lingered.

“I did everything for our marriage,” she reflected. “I made sure he felt adored, appreciated, and loved.”

Now, decades later, Joel is reportedly living with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder. Despite everything, Brinkley remains supportive of the music legend, especially for the sake of their daughter, Alexa Ray.

“I want it to be very clear how magical my time with him was,” Brinkley said. “But sometimes, even magic isn’t enough.”