Christie Brinkley recalls argument that led to divorce from Billy Joel: 'I really can't take this anymore'
Christie Brinkley is looking back at an argument she had with her ex-husband Billy Joel that spelled the end of their nine-year marriage.
The model, who married Joel in 1985, explained that the singer's excessive drinking and their limited time together while he was on his two-year-long River of Dreams tour pushed their relationship to its limit in 1994.
'I don't think it's a secret that his drinking got pretty bad,' Brinkley said in the second installment of Joel's HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. 'And he couldn't really remember what he did when he was drinking, and so he didn't really know how he could hurt people.'
It got so bad, Brinkley recalled, that she would often 'just pretend that I was sleeping when he'd come in' because she 'didn't wanna see him in that condition' anymore.
'And then one night we had an argument and I said, 'I really can't take this anymore, and I'm just gonna take Alexa back up to New York and leave,'' she said, referring to the couple's daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. 'And he said, 'Yeah, fine, go.''
Their divorce taught Joel that 'love is not concrete.'
'You feel like it is," he said, "but there are things eating away at it. And, in the end, it all catches up. And it's hard. And I was so devastated.'
Brinkley was equally hurt by the end of their marriage.
'I tried,' she said. 'I wanted it to work. I knew how lucky I was having music and all of that, but...it just didn't work.'
Earlier in the documentary, Brinkley, who starred in Joel's "Uptown Girl" music video, explained that his River of Dreams tour, which ran from 1993 until 1995, had a real impact on their bond.
'Our relationship went from lots of fun and really, totally enjoying each other and everything, to his work consuming him,' she said. 'And if I did go on the road, I wasn't seeing him because the unwind period after the show was going on til late into the night. And it's like, what am I even doing here?'
It got to a point where Brinkley didn't know what the best course of action was for her or their daughter, Alexa.
'I can't be lonely just me and Alexa in this big ol' house that was supposed to be so full of life and love and music and laughter and all of that,' she admitted as she became visibly emotional. 'Things were starting to deteriorate.'
Joel could also see that their marriage was suffering.
'I was in a relationship with someone who I care deeply about, but I was not able to be at home,' he said. 'I was not able to be with my family. It was a very sad time for me.'
In her 2025 memoir Uptown Girl, Brinkley confirmed she "never wanted to end things with Billy," but that his drinking had taken a serious toll on their marriage.
"Booze was the other woman," she wrote, "and it was beginning to seem that he preferred to be with 'her' rather than with me."
She also recalled an instance in which Joel allegedly "went ballistic" at her and his bandmates over missing pasta and another in which she claimed that he cheated on her with a caterer after a New Year's Eve concert.
Despite going their separate ways, Brinkley and Joel remain amicable to this day. She recently posted a message of support for the five-time Grammy winner after he revealed that he'd been diagnosed with a brain disorder.
"You're OUR piano man," she wrote in part on Instagram. "And we're always in the mood for your melodies and we all hope you're feeling alright! We love you."
Billy Joel: And So It Goes is streaming on HBO Max.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
People Who "Had An Affair" With A Married Person Are Sharing Their Scandalous Stories, And I'm Clutching My Pearls
We recently wrote a post where the BuzzFeed Community told us about having affairs with married people, and it led to even more scandalous stories. In the comments, even more readers shared their very intimate experiences that they probably should've taken to the grave. Here's what they had to say: 1."In my first marriage, I slept with the wife of my wife's brother. She came on to me and, since my marriage was basically sexless, I went for it. It was only once. We tried to hook up a couple of times after, but never got there. Got with a couple of married women between marriages. Figured if it wasn't me, it'd be someone else, and I didn't feel like I owed their husbands any loyalty; the wives did." —minitooth56 2."I slept with a colleague one time about 15 years ago, and we've continued to share the occasional sexy texts, photos, videos, etc. over the years. The sex was good, the times we didn't get all the way to sex were even better, and I think we probably would have done it more than once if the logistics had allowed. We haven't been physical for many years, just the texts. We're both married, and neither of us ever intended to leave our marriages. It just wasn't like that. I had been married about four or six years, already had kids (and have had more since). He had been married for about a year, and they started their family a few years after that one time. We live in a small town and spend quite a bit of time together through the kids' school and activities. At the heart of it, we're friends who play up occasionally. It's a good arrangement for both of us." "A couple of years ago, I found out that his wife has been having an affair for what's now been about four years. I've met the other guy a few times; he's not remotely discreet and has shown me graphic photos, not knowing that I know her and her husband. I haven't had the heart to tell my friend. He absolutely worships the ground she walks on, he would be devastated. It's all pretty tacky and tawdry, really." —Anonymous, 42 F Australia 3."I had sex with a client for several years when he was in my city; he lived out of state. I knew he was happily married; he never said otherwise. He would take me out for a great dinner, then back to my condo for good sex. I never expected anything more. I never felt guilty because I knew he loved his wife, and it was just sex for both of us. Although we both cared for each other, I didn't 'fall in love' with him. When he opened a new office, I was invited to the party and met his wife, a very nice woman." —Anonymous, 72, Arizona 4."We were friendly coworkers for years. Both of us are in long-term relationships with kids. We always joked around and pulled pranks on each other, but as time passed by, the jokes turned sexual in nature. I was going through a rough patch in my life, and I know I was crushing on him, but I never thought anything would happen. Until one day he made a joke about spanking, and I couldn't help it, I smiled. He saw it and whispered, 'I know' to me. At that point I knew the sexual tension I was feeling wasn't coming from just me." "After that moment, it was only a matter of time before something happened. We eventually found a moment outside of work in secret and had amazing sex in my car. While we both cheated, we made the excuse to each other that we are just helping each other out since our relationships are stressful and sex with our partners takes a backseat." —Anonymous, 44 Somewhere in Jersey 5."I'm a married woman who met a married train conductor on my line. He was the pursuer, but I was open to it after several years of no intimacy with my husband. The train conductor was not only married but had a GF, who was several years older than both of us. This intrigued me, since I was already in my late 40s. We flirted for a while before actually exchanging numbers, then we began a steamy emotional affair that lasted four years. We never went past passionate kisses and a little touching, but we shared stories, fantasies, talked about our spouses, talked about dreams and hopes for the future (not ours together, but things we didn't feel safe telling our spouses)." "We even supported each other through illnesses our spouses endured. It felt like it was just something we needed at the time. Eventually, it led me back to focusing on my own marriage, so I broke it off, which was extremely hard, but needed. I blocked him on my phone, and he eventually moved to another route. When we see each other from afar at the train station now, we go in different directions. I miss him, but I love my husband despite it all." —Anonymous, 53 Chicago 6."I was dead inside, and a few years ago, he made a move. It was the best connection with another person in my life. We are connected mind, body, and soul. The sex is like he's in my mind and knows my body. It's been going on for years now." —Anonymous 7."When I was around 20, I dated a cop who said he was separated. Having fun till I found out his wife was also a cop! Separated or not, I did NOT want a woman with a gun coming after me! Last time I hooked up with a married man." —Anonymous, 62, North Carolina 8."We were both married and both unhappy in our relationships. Our kids were school friends. He'd had his eye on me for a while, but one day he decided to speak to me about how he felt. It was exhilarating. I felt seen, excited, nervous….alive! I wasn't really thinking, and just wanted to know what it felt like to kiss someone else after more than 20 years with the same man. I figured we both had something to lose, so it was safe. The sex started soon thereafter, and it felt so good. I wasn't hooked. It was like a drug, and I couldn't get enough. We fell in love as we interacted and communicated more and more." "Living a double life became too hard to bear. We came out to our spouses. It was not pretty. Devastating actually. We are still together, but it has not been easy. The divorces were not equitable. His ex-wife only cares about hurting him (at the expense of her kids), and because of the kids, we do not live together. Our exes have become friends, which makes things even more toxic. There is no water under the bridge, and I don't have hope for that to ever change. Life will always be harder because of the decisions we made. However, the sex, chemistry, and connection are something I will never regret. I will die knowing I got to feel those things again, and for me, that was worth it. You only live once. Enjoy the body and heart you have." —Anonymous, 45 9."I was 22 and sleeping with a guy that I would see in passing while going to work. He was insistent on keeping me a secret. At the time, I was willing to accept his terms due to being young and very naive, due to being sheltered with little interaction. This guy had demands that I had to meet to see him, such as being available on a moment's notice or close to it. He proudly talked about his then-girlfriend, a straight-A student who was a senior in high school, and how much he loved her when we were together, and the more I hung out with him, the more I felt bad. He gave the impression they broke up, and I asked him what he wanted from our relationship. His answer was enough to stop returning his calls: 'money, sex on demand, and nice clothes.' My self-esteem was low up until that point, and it was then that I realized I was better than that and deserved better." "This was back in the days of pagers, and after I stopped talking to him, he blew up my pager. I felt good about my decision and bad for his girlfriend, who had no clue what was going on. He asked me out on a real date for Valentine's Day, and I turned him down. He was angry, and I hung up the phone laughing. I went to a party that night, and started talking with a girl who was a victim of his, and she provided me with the girlfriend's name and phone number. I slept with him knowing he was taken, and I shouldn't have. He hurt me, and I allowed it, and while I was a victim, the real victim was the girlfriend. I called her one morning before she went to school, telling her everything. A year later, I ended up working with her, and she had no clue it was me who called her. They were still together, which was shocking, and he tried to hook up again. I responded to this that I would tell her 1999, I was at school and I looked up to see him delivering flowers to a new girlfriend. He looked like his same smug, cocky self, who felt like he was God's gift to women. A year later, in summer 2000, I saw him again. He looked different, subdued, messy, and lonely. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and after chatting for a bit, it was evident that he thought he was going home with me. We walked out the door, and he was beyond excited for female attention and the prospect of getting laid. He waited near the door while I got my car. I got close enough for him to reach my car, then circled around the crowded parking lot on purpose. When he made it to the car, I pulled off, leaving him there alone, thirsty AF. In my rear-view mirror, I saw his head hang down in sadness, and he may have cried at my rejection. Last I heard, nearly ten years ago, that he is single, alone, and desperate for a variety of then, I've had issues trusting the opposite sex, and I'm content being alone and celibate. A toy is much better compared to a man, and batteries are much cheaper compared to the emotional, financial, and physical aspects of relationships." —Anonymous 10."I was in my 20s, a single and very naïve mother of a month-old child, and working in between classes as a secretary at the school activity center. A guy kept coming into the office, asking me out, and I told him no, but we did become friends. He lived on campus in the dorms. I knew he had a little girl and even had a class with his 'ex' wife. A couple of months go by, and around Christmas, he invites me over to watch the Christmas parade from his dorm room with my daughter. He was so sweet, we had a perfect view of the route, and he even had gotten her a giant stuffed toy. Another week goes by, and we have sex. We have a week off for Christmas break, and when I return to school, he is cold." "His wife comes up to me after class and informs me that they got back together over the break, and that I need to go get tested. I knew he had put on protection, but I had not watched him put it on. The sick fuck was reusing condoms on women that he had doctored by cutting a hole in the top because he wanted more kids. Also, I was not the only one that he was with in his dorm room. I ended up having to take penicillin for two months. Thank God I didn't get pregnant or get something worse than what I did." —Anonymous, 49, OK 11."Had an affair with a married woman. Her husband is my age. We are both in our mid-50s. Due to health issues, he is unable to perform sexually. I, too, am married. I love my wife very much, but she is not naturally sexual (asexual), so it seems to be the perfect situation. However, my paramour wanted more chase than sex. Didn't like spending money and time on infrequent and mediocre sex. I stopped seeing the married woman. She still calls wanting to meet for drinks and rendezvous, but for me, 'the juice ain't worth the squeeze.'" —Anonymous, 54 Atlanta Georgia 12."I was 19 and newly out; he was 22, bi, in the military, and married with a wife and baby. He invited me over to meet her, and although I agreed to (oh to be 19 again. No, never again please), I stood alone in a room next to the nursery and refused to see her or the baby. I dunno, even then the whole scenario was a tad too volatile for me. We ended up having incredible sex every day for about a week, though. After that, I told him I wasn't the one to help him figure out his sexuality/life, and he started that process right there. He cried a little, told me I was a horribly selfish person, then stormed out of my room, and I never saw him again. Did I mention I was a 19-year-old gayby, I mean, come on." —Anonymous, 43, Seattle 13."I've been sleeping with a married woman for the past three years. I am a single mom, and she and I work together and have been friends for years. Since we became lovers, we are closer than ever, and share as much time together as possible. We are best friends and we absolutely adore each other. She will never leave her husband or family, though – they are fragile, and I can tell she couldn't handle the guilt. She has a home she loves, and even though she and her husband are not physical with each other, she still cares about him and couldn't bear to hurt him. I understand and feel the same way, actually. "I know she and I will always love each other and take time to be together when we can. We are great together, but we will never really be a couple. In a way, it works well for me because I enjoy my freedom, but it's also sad because, if the timing had been different, we could have had a very happy life together. It's actually strange sometimes to love a person so much, and also miss them, even while the two of you are spending time together." —Anonymous, 57, California 14."My freshman year of college, I met this married couple and slept with both of them in a 3-way. One of the husbands hit me up afterwards, saying that they were open and that he wanted to keep hanging out with me, so I met up with him a few times. Turns out they only played together and were not truly open. Only lasted a month before I found out." —Anonymous, 29 Colorado 15."20 years ago, I (straight male) was in the Army on the West Coast. My neighbors were lesbian. As I was going through a very rough separation and divorce proceedings that involved a custody battle, I started talking to my neighbors. One of their married friends took a liking to me, who was married to a Navy guy. She started to think of me when she was sleeping with her husband. Wishing it were me. She had a fight with her lesbian friends, my neighbors, so she crashed in my bed. Nothing happened between us — nothing sexual, just sleep. I did, however, have sex with my lesbian neighbors at the same time, just before I shipped out for three months." "The married friend's husband had found her emails to me confessing that she loved me. He was pissed. I told him that I never touched his wife. And that he needed to figure out his marriage situation. What he doesn't know is that I know what her breasts looked like and the touch of them. She also found out that I slept with both of my neighbors. She was married and mad at me. I even went on a date with one of the lesbian neighbors, and we kissed passionately. Months later, I moved. The one lesbian neighbor whom I kissed passionately wanted to rehook up with me and finish what we started. I haven't seen them since I moved. What I do know is that the married friend had indeed ended her marriage with her Navy husband, had two kids with another man, and still thinks of me. I never responded to that last message. And we haven't talked since." —Anonymous, Victoria, BC 16."A friend from college years later helped me reclaim my mind and body. He somehow made me feel safe again, but he's married to an awful person, so he gets something from this too. It's been over 3 years and we still make time for each other." —Anonymous, 33, MN 17."I met him through my boss at the time. He was an absolute sweetheart in a loveless marriage. He had tried to divorce his wife, but she was a stay-at-home mother and threatened to take him for everything and keep the kids from him, so he stayed. He was 20+ years older than me, but we had great chemistry. Most of our time together was spent at my place, having excellent conversations & mind-blowing sex (his stamina was amazing), but one night we decided to go out to dinner in the city. We would go to a bomb sushi place fairly frequently, but that was a little bit away. Anyways, we ran into some of his coworkers & that killed the mood because we had to put on a performance of just friends getting together." "I really loved him (& I do think he really loved me), but that's when I knew it had to end because it was never going to go anywhere while his kids were still young & I had to think about my long-term. I know I broke his heart a little & I was sad too, but no regrets-not for the relationship or for my choice to end it." —Anonymous, 48 West Coast 18."My wife and I married young, too young (emotionally, that is). After my discharge from the military, we divorced, spent some time apart, then reconnected as friends a year later. She had gotten her GED and enrolled in college to be a pediatric nurse. I encouraged and supported her as much as I could. Well, her birthday came around, and I had gotten her a birthday present, and told her to come get it. She asked if it was okay if she brought her boyfriend, and I said absolutely. When she arrived, they both got out of the car, she one-armed hugged me, I shook this guy's hand and said, 'Take care of her or I'll take her back.' Fast forward two years, and she gets in touch with me, and both our relationships are sinking. We start flirting via text messages, rekindling an attraction that only we could have with each other. I move back home and let her know I'm back in town, and she replies with 'I'm on my way.'" "She tells her now ex-husband she's going out for ice cream with her sister. When she got to my place, we had a moment of cuddling before we got at it. Well, a few days later we just up and stopped talking. Nearly ten years go by when I get an email from her, asking about how I am, and that she truly did love me. I didn't get that email until 2 years after that. I stopped checking emails and disappeared from social media. It was a last effort to reach me. Well, I responded to the email and got nothing back. I reached out to her sister, whom I told I was trying to reach. Still nothing. After five months, I found out about the Classmates website and tagged a picture of her as crush-worthy as a last attempt to reach her. Lo and behold, it actually reached her. She told me she was divorcing her husband for the sake and happiness of her kids. I knew I was going to help her at all costs. I found her a car, helped find a job that was flexible with the kids' schooling, gave as much money as I could, and helped her get a new phone. The ex-husband was trying everything to keep her under his abusive thumb. I moved back from Ohio to my home after he moved out, got a job to help take care of the kids while she filed for divorce. Now we own a home together, have three amazing kids, and are living our best life. I made good on my word. I told him if he wasn't gonna take care of her, I would take her back, and I damn sure did." —Anonymous, 39, Georgia, United States 19."I met a girl online, and we flirted hard for a year and a half due to a lack of love and sex at home. It was amazing getting the things that we really needed and were starved of. I moved across the country to be near her. We met six times, exchanging love, sex, gifts, drinking, eating, and playing Scrabble. It was incredible, but it finally came to an end as I became jealous of her flirtatious nature, which is what landed me in the first place. Just remember, anyone who flirts with you will flirt with others too, and it may not be a thing that you really need to worry about." —lazysunflower314 20."I met a guy after a painful breakup with someone I cared a lot about. The new guy was not married. We dated and talked on the phone a lot because he worked evenings and I worked the daytime shift. Then I stopped hearing from him, and he moved. Then, about a year later, he calls me again. He wanted to get together again. I never asked if he was married because he wasn't when I first met him. Fast forward to a two-year dating situation where, when I asked why, I could only see him when he wanted to. His excuse was that he was working and trying to save money so we could be financially on a good footing when we got married." "But the shocker came when I called him, and his wife answered. This turned my world upside down because I tried to be true to him. Had I known he was married, I never would have wasted my time with him. It just shocked me that someone would do such a deceitful thing." —Anonymous If you had slept with someone who was married or fell in love with a married person, tell us about it in the comments. Or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can use the form below. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Abandoned Baby Was Initially Mistaken for a Doll. Then the Man Who Found Him Was Asked to Adopt: ‘One Surprise After Another'
"We were in no position to start a family or have a baby enter our lives at all, nor were we thinking about it," says Pete Mercurio — then fate intervenedNEED TO KNOW In 2000, social worker Danny Stewart made headlines when he found an abandoned infant at a New York City subway station Stewart and his then-boyfriend, Pete Mercurio, became the boy's foster parents and eventually adopted him A new animated short film, 18 Months, tells a dramatized version of their storyThere's no wrong way to build a family. That's the message Danny Stewart and his husband, Pete Mercurio, are hoping to spread with a new film 18 Months, inspired by the couple's true story of unexpectedly becoming parents after Stewart found an abandoned baby in a New York City subway station 25 years ago. The six-minute stop-motion animated short from the nonprofit Second Nurture, created by Klick Health and animated by Zombie Studio, with music by Jamute, aims to ignite broader conversations around adoption and lessen stigma. It's also put Stewart, Mercurio and their son back in the spotlight as they share an update on their headline-making story. Back in August 2000, the last thing on the couple's minds was raising a child. 'Not a whiff of it,' Mercurio, 57, tells PEOPLE. 'It was one surprise after another in terms of how it all played out.' Around 8 p.m on Aug. 28, 2000, Stewart, a social worker, was on his way to meet his boyfriend, a writer and graphic designer, for dinner. They'd been together for three years and lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with a partition splitting the living room to provide a sleep space for their then-roommate. 'We had no resources. We were in debt,' Mercurio says. 'We were in no position to start a family or have a baby enter our lives at all, nor were we thinking about it.' But that night, Stewart saw a box with what looked like a doll in it on the 14th Street subway platform — and was shocked when he looked closer and saw movement. He quickly notified authorities and the infant was swept away. Stewart was celebrated as a hero — and interviewed by the likes of CNN and the BBC — before interest in the story initially subsided. That, thought Stewart, now 59, was that. A shiny moment in the news and then back to his regular life. Then things took a wild turn when Stewart was asked to provide testimony at a hearing to sever the baby boy's biological parental rights so that the child, then called "Daniel Ace Doe," could be placed in a foster home. (The birth parents never came forward; a DNA test many years later revealed he was Pacific Islander.) Little baby Doe seemed destined for a life in the foster care system and perhaps adoption down the line until a judge stepped in. At a certain point during the hearing, the judge asked Stewart to stay until the end of the proceedings. That's when she asked an unexpected question: Would he be interested in adopting the baby? He stammered out a yes. It was, says Mercurio, 'The question that changed our lives forever.' The judge got the couple into a short-lived pilot program that allowed them to quickly become foster parents and eventually adopt the boy, whom they named Kevin Stewart-Mercurio. While it was initially a challenge for Mercurio and Stewart, they quickly adapted: Their roommate moved out, and Kevin moved in. A same-sex couple raising a child of a different race, they were generally accepted and supported by their New York City community, they say — though Mercurio admits he was waiting for some sort of pushback or challenge to their adoption during what became a two-year process. 'They're going to see two men on the forms and we're going to get delayed,' Mercurio says of his fears back then. 'None of that happened because the judge was so in charge of everything and wanted this to happen.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Kevin proved to be a motivated and talented boy who excelled academically and socially. The family was open about his origin story, and they shared it with his classmates. 'We wanted to be honest with him,' Stewart says. 'It was always about love and being found.' Mercurio put together a short picture book when Kevin was about 5 as a way to tell the story of how their family came to be, and the dads would read it to Kevin every night. 'Is this about me?' he asked one night. When Mercurio told him it was, Kevin wanted him to read it again. The next time it was his turn at show-and-tell, he brought the book and shared it with his classmates. 'He owned the story after that, which was really comforting for us that it wasn't a traumatic thing for him,' Mercurio says. He says the couple only encountered one piece of hate mail about them being gay and questioning how they could become a real family. But he knows this sort of discrimination has dogged other gay couples. Naturally, as Kevin grew older, he began to ask questions about his background. 'I think in his middle years, just past elementary school as he was entering his teen years, where he seemed to be like 'Who am I?' 'What is my identity?' ' Mercurio says. Their family was also not as well-off as some others in their neighborhood. 'I just got emotional because I remember feeling at the time that if Kevin had been adopted by one of these families, he could have had all that,' Mercurio says. 'But I don't feel that way now.' Stewart says he believes his son struggled a bit with a sense of being alone. 'I think it came to a head in college when he said there were differences not only racially, but also financially and class-wise,' Stewart says. 'As a parent, I wished we could have prepared him for the racial discrimination he felt when he went off to college.' Kevin would tell them how sometimes when he sat down on the bus, people wouldn't sit next to him. Or when he went to school in Philadelphia and would take the train home to New York City — if he was late, he avoided running to the train while wearing his hoodie and carrying his backpack. 'That was just heartbreaking stuff we did not prepare him for,' Mercurio says. Still, Kevin has thrived. In 2022, he graduated from Swarthmore College, outside of Philadelphia, where he double majored in computer science and mathematics. Last year he moved to Pittsburgh and works as a junior software developer at a creative agency. The couple says he supports their projects, like with 18 months, but prefers to stay private with his life. Looking back at their family's journey, Stewart says, 'Everything lined up just so perfectly." Call it serendipity, fate or "some higher power that just was leading things to happen in this particular way," he says. "It just gives me chills." Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smithfield's 'We Speak Pork' Campaign Features Pork So Good It Speaks for Itself
Creative platform designed to drive awareness among Gen Z and Millennials, expand Smithfield's leadership in packaged meats segment Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield® has launched a new national advertising campaign, 'We Speak Pork,' showcasing pork so good it speaks for itself. The video campaign features Emmy Award-winning writer, actor and comedian Ben Schwartz as the voice of Smithfield's portfolio of products, including bacon, Prime Fresh lunch meat, smoked hams and pre-marinated pork tenderloins. Schwartz's credits include NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' 'House of Lies,' the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie series, 'The Afterparty,' and the 'Ben Schwartz and Friends Tour,' which sold out Radio City Music Hall and the Sydney Opera House. 'This new creative campaign is an extension of Smithfield Foods' continuing strategy to grow our leadership position in the value-added packaged meats segment,' said Steve France, president of packaged meats for Smithfield Foods. 'We Speak Pork puts our delicious Smithfield products front and center – in their own voice – to remind consumers of the unmatched flavor and quality of Smithfield's expertly crafted pork products. It's an entertaining way to appeal to new audiences and let them see the fun side of the Smithfield brand.' 'I am proud to finally answer the question that has tormented mankind for years: "If Smithfield pork could talk, what would it sound like?" The answer is me. And in a way, I feel like we always knew. I am excited to work with Smithfield and begin my pork product journey as the voice of their "We Speak Pork" campaign,' said Schwartz. Designed to drive awareness among Gen Zs and Millennials, the campaign provides a relevant and authentic voice for the Smithfield brand to drive curiosity and consideration. The creative platform grabs attention with bold product visuals to showcase the versatility and convenience of Smithfield's products, which allow consumers to explore bold flavors for everyday use. Smithfield holds the #1 market position in uncooked bacon and smoked ham in the U.S., and top-ten positions in uncooked breakfast sausage and packaged lunch meat nationwide. The new 'We Speak Pork' ads, directed by David Ma and created by The Escape Pod Chicago, are now on digital channels including streaming platforms, and are also available on the Smithfield brand's YouTube channel. To see the complete line of Smithfield products, recipes, inspiration tips and more, please visit The Smithfield brand leads Smithfield Foods' portfolio of iconic brands including Eckrich, Farmland and Nathan's Famous, among many others. Smithfield Foods' brands hold the #2 overall U.S. market position for branded packaged meats, with top-three share in 15 of the 25 packaged meats categories in which they compete. About SmithfieldSmithfield® isn't only a leading provider of high-quality pork products. We're also a leading provider of the most important part of any meal: premium, high-quality meat. And we take our meat duties seriously. After all, the rest of the meal is just a side dish. Smithfield products were first introduced in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, by people who lived for the love of meat. Today, the Smithfield brand stands for craftsmanship, authenticity and pure passion as we continue to give meat lovers across the country the deliciousness they crave: our classic bacon, slow-smoked holiday hams, hand-trimmed ribs, marinated fresh pork, smoked meats, and even more meaty magic. All Smithfield products not only meet our customers' high flavor standards but also meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. All while being produced right here in the USA. To learn more about the Smithfield portfolio of products, please visit and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X (formally known as Twitter). Smithfield® is a brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc. About Ben SchwartzBen Schwartz is an Emmy Award-winning writer, actor and comedian. His credits include NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' 'House of Lies,' the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie series, 'The Afterparty,' and the 'Ben Schwartz and Friends Tour,' which sold out Radio City Music Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Find out more about Ben at About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods (Nasdaq: SFD) is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world. Contact:Ray AtkinsonSmithfield Foods, Inc.(757) 576-1383ratkinson@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: A video accompanying this announcement is available at
