Billy Joel's ex-wife Elizabeth Weber reveals how they get along amid his brain disorder battle
'If I wanna talk to him or if I have something to say, I am able to contact him whenever I want to,' Weber said of Joel, 76, in an interview with Us Weekly Friday.
Weber referenced Joel's marriage to equestrian Alexis Roderick, 43, and their two children, Della Rose Joel, nine, and Remy Anne Joel, seven.
'But he has a wife and he has children,' Weber said, 'and right now, he's struggling with something that's … that's a big thing.'
Joel this past May called off a series of concerts that had been scheduled amid a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain-related ailment.
Weber initially crossed paths with the famed singer and pianist in the 1960s, amid a timeframe when she was wed to Joel's Attila bandmate Jon Small.
After Joel and Weber had an affair, their band fell apart and Joel dealt with severe depression around the same time.
Weber told the magazine her relationship with The Downeaster 'Alexa' artist 'is as close as it needs to be for two people who decided to divorce 40 years ago.'
Weber said that her son Sean Weber-Small (from her prior marriage) and grandkids have past spent quality time with Joel.
'I have my grandchildren that he knows and they know him,' Weber said. 'My granddaughter Ella taught Bill what TikTok was and showed him what was happening.
'And his relationship with Sean is important to both of them,' adding that her son and Joel 'were very close.'
Weber said that her communications are somewhat constrained by the cross-country distance of their residences.
'We're not distant but we're, you know, and he lives in Florida and I live in California,' Weber said. 'But it's all good.'
The It's Still Rock and Roll to Me artist and Weber tied the knot in 1973, and parted ways in 1982.
The Just The Way You Are singer had been seeing Australia-born supermodel Elle Macpherson prior to his high-profile romance with model Christie Brinkley, 71.
The five-time Grammy winner and his Uptown Girl muse were wed from 1985 to 1994 in a union that produced daughter Alexa Ray Joel, 39.
The We Didn't Start the Fire vocalist subsequently exchanged vows with culinary expert Katie Lee, 43, in 2004 and the couple parted ways in 2009.
Joel has been wed to Roderick since 2015.
The Bronx-born musical artist is the focal point of new two-part documentary titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which can be seen on HBO.
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BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wetin we know about Taylor Swift new album - The Life of a Showgirl
Taylor Swift don announce her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, afta fans begin carry rumour about am in di last 24 hours. Rumours begin fly on Monday morning, wen di marketing team of di singer bin post carousel of 12 foto wit di caption: "Thinking about wen she bin tok 'see you next era'." For di hours wey bin follow, Swift official website bin start to countdown to 00:12 ET (05:12 BST), wen her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce bin confam say she go be guest dis week for im podcast, New Heights. Na Swift reveal di title of di album by herself ontop social media clip wey bin start before Kelce podcast, and dem make di record to dey available for pre-order on her website di same time. Fans wey bin pre-order di album receive message wey bin tok say dem go ship am before 13 October, but say "no be di release date be dat". Dem neva confam di official date wey dem go release di new music. Di 11th album of di pop star The Tortured Poets Department, wey dem release last year, bin break di Spotify record for di most-streamed album in one day. Shift from di usual way? To announce her new album for her current boyfriend podcast na veri interesting move for Swift, as much of her songwriting and back catalogue na about her previous relationships. Tori pipo bin carry di news well-well - even though dem neva confam am - say her last album na detail of her break-up from The 1975 singer Matty Healy. Oda former partners wey include Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Mayer na pipo wey fans tink about for a veri long time say dem be subject of her songs before. Di deputy music editor for di Guardian Laura Snapes, tell BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Tuesday say di subject of relationships fit comeback on di agenda. "E get one leaked photograph of, allegedly, di inside of di vinyl wey dey go around wia you fit see some wey no too clear, out of focus lyrics," Snapes tok. "And e be like say na some stuff about love. "Sometin fit dey about di situation wit her former label... e be like say she neva stop to sing about am." Di star, she add say dey, "famously give no interviews". So evritin her fans hear from her "na direct" , either thru social media or comments wey she make on stage in between songs for her big gigs like during her all-conquering recent Eras tour. New album just be like "an update on her life - wetin she bin dey tink of, wetin she bin dey feel", Snapes tok, di music editor add say e dey "really interesting" say Swift deliver di update like dis. "E be like say e dey quite loose - way wey we no dey really get to see her in public," di journalist add. "And I wonder if e go signal a shift for her media approach, or if na just her boyfriend podcast?" Snapes say she go dey "watch wit interest" wen di full podcast go drop around 00:00 BST on Thursday. Afta years of headlines during her record-breaking Eras tour, e be like say Swift get one-kain quiet start to 2025. For May dis year, dem bin announce say she bin buy back di rights to her first six albums, wey end a long-running and highly publicised battle ova di ownership of her music. Afta her original masters bin sell am, she bin vow to re-record all six albums, wey pipo kon sabi as "Taylor Version". To date, she don re-release four of di original six. Swift bin announce say she don buy back her original masters wit one letter to fans wey melt pipo heart, wia she bin write say di final two albums "go get dia moments to come back wen di time dey right." Di singer bin wrap up di Eras tour for December 2024, afta she play for 149 shows for 53 cities. For UK alone, she play for almost 1.2 million pipo, including eight nights for Wembley Stadium. Di tour bin generate an estimated £1bn for di kontri economy, and na wetin make Swift to officially claim billionaire status. Di star also get plenti awards, di American Music Awards bin name her artist of di decade, she be di most awarded artist of all time for MTV Video Music Awards and she don win 14 Grammy awards, including an unprecedented four album of di year awards. How she take big like dis? Her pandemic era albums Folklore and Evermore na significant turning point, according to BBC Culture correspondent Mark Savage, wit di indie-folk arrangements wey win ova critics and fans wey bin no dey impressed by her country and pop hits. Di rise of TikTok introduce her to a new audience, while di ongoing project of re-recording her first six albums bring back her older hits to life. "She be just one of those rare timeless artists wey dey get am right evritime," na wetin fellow pop star Raye tok last year. "She be complete powerhouse." "She be fantastic role model," Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall add. "She get di resilience and di self-confidence to be di boss of ogbonge machine, wey dey employ thousands of pipo. To dey able to handle am and handle wetin dey come to her publicly, you just get to be a one-off." Lana Del Rey, wey bin sing togeda wit Swift for di 2022 song Snow On The Beach, bin get anoda theory about di way di star dey dominate. "She want am," di singer bin tell BBC News last year. "She bin don tell me so many times say she want am more dan anyone. And how amazing - she dey get exactly wetin she want. "She dey driven, and I tink say e dey really pay off."
The Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Vicious' Meg is trying to one-up Kate with money-grabbing Netflix deal but it WON'T work, expert slams
MEGHAN Markle has been labelled as "vicious" amid her latest venture - as her "Christmas special" clashes with Princess Kate's beloved holiday concert. Season 2 of Meghan 's controversial cookery show will drop later this month - after she and Harry signed their latest deal with the streamer. 6 6 6 The couple announced yesterday they had signed a new "multi-year, first look deal" with the American streaming giant to produce "film and television projects" - despite doubts being cast on their future. The deal is a "downgraded" version of the couple's original $100million contract - with the US streaming giant only approving projects it likes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously released a number of shows on the platform, including a 2022 documentary on their lives and Meghan's lifestyle show With Love, Meghan this year. But one show already earmarked to feature as part of the new deal is Meghan's own 'holiday special' this December. This will clash with the Princess of Wales' annual Christmas carol concert. Kate Middleton 's annual Together At Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey is usually a heartfelt and profound end to the year. Royal Expert Hugo Vickers said the Christmas crossover is another example of Meghan trying to 'cap' her sister-in-law's work. This is especially harsh given how Kate's TV special celebrates charity work and is done for the benefit of 'the rest of the world' - rather than 'vicious' Meghan's need to keep 'money coming in'. He told The Sun: "It's always said that whenever Catherine the Princess of Wales starts something that Meghan Markle does something else to cap it, or in some ways clash with it. "Maybe that is the case. Obviously, there are lots of Christmas shows around Christmas. Harry & Meghan were 'not in a strong position' & signed Netflix deal for 'much less'… TV giant 'did it for publicity' "Having said that, of course, the initiative of the Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey is incredibly moving and incredibly special, and is done for the benefit of the rest of the world, for all the people who've been suffering, all the people who've helped with charities, all that sort of thing, so it's all for the public good. "And I'm not quite convinced that Meghan Markle is going to be dissecting some more petals and scattering them over salads, or whatever she's going to be doing in California, is in quite the same league. "I can see how a Christmas special on the cards. "It's a bit like Downton Abbey, which ran and ran and ran and always had a Christmas special, which people tuned into." Hugo added: "Obviously Netflix is a very hard-nosed business operation, and they won't have taken them on just out of charity, or they obviously think it's worthwhile. And of course, she does have an enormous number of followers. "The one great thing that Harry and Meghan have in their favour is that anything they do, however trivial, seems to attract a lot of publicity, which must surely be good for Netflix. "They've got to rely on things like this, because they lead such an expensive lifestyle. And they just need money coming in, because the money must be pouring out." It comes after Newsweek's royal editor Jack Royston claimed the "rivalry" between Kate and Meghan is still going strong. Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, Jack shared: 'There was 100 per cent definitely a massive rivalry between the Sussexes and the Waleses dating back to when they were sharing a private office at Kensington Palace. 'And this sort of thing, you would absolutely cut and dry say, was a 100 per cent massive rivalry.' Both Meghan and Kate proudly shared photos of their kids artwork on social media in the same week - Kate posting on the Monday, and Meghan on the Thursday. And in an explosive tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan later claimed it was Kate that made her cry just days before her wedding. Previously, it was claimed Meghan left Kate in tears over her demands for Princess Charlotte's dress. In the announcement of the Netflix deal extension, Meghan said in a statement: 'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand. "My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.' Hugo said the announcement seemed "very Meghan-centric", leading on her ventures and only referring to Harry as her "husband". What appears to be his personal passion project was mentioned later on, a short film called "Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within". 'Meghan & Harry need to come up with a hit soon' By Matt Wilkinson JUST when you thought it was safe to turn the telly on again... Harry and Meghan are back. And their multi-year renewal with Netflix means they are not going away anytime soon. There have been tense negotiations in recent weeks but Netflix is so deeply involved with Meghan's As Ever brand it was always likely that the streaming giants would want them back. Make no mistake, Harry and Meghan would have been desperate for the deal to be renewed. They will likely be opening a bottle or two of As Ever Rose in Montecito. Because they have invested heavily in Archewell Productions and getting on board with Netflix is central not only to their post-Royal endeavours but more importantly crucial to their bank accounts. If they lost their Netflix money then how could they afford their life in the US? While the length of the deal or how much the couple are getting paid is vague we do know that Meghan will appear in a 'holiday special' in December that will likely clash with the Princess of Wales's annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey. And finally, two years after I revealed in The Sun the couple had bought the rights to the book Meet Me At The Lake, production is in active development. Sources close to the couple are coy about whether Harry or Meghan will appear on screen for the production of Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within which will air later this year. But perhaps the best piece of news from the announcement is no repeat of the six-part documentary which dumped on the Royal Family. However, 'Harry & Meghan' was a ratings dream and none of their projects since have been anywhere as successful. They need to come up with a hit soon. And this 'first look' deal means Netflix has the first option on new projects from the couple without any guaranteed commitment. But remember the Sussexes are not the only Royals to be in bed with Netflix. The King will feature in a documentary on The King's Foundation with Idris Elba. It will look at Uganda's Masaka region and the HIV/AIDS crisis there. This has echoes of Harry's mum Diana's work, who changed the world's view about HIV and Aids. Hugo commented: "His skill, of course, is totally different. He was trained to do things for the Army, the Commonwealth, Invictus Games, all those sort of things, which he's actually very good at, and that's where his skills should be used. "She is more of a red carpet Hollywood person, and so I'm not surprised at all that he is only a kind of walk-on part, but she needs him there every now and again. "As you will have seen if you watch the cookery programs, he has to come in at the end, you know, with a with a grin to show that he's onside about it. "And again, in the awful Oprah Winfrey interview, he was wheeled in at the end so that we knew that he knew about it. "So, husband? Yep, that's what it is. He is the husband of Meghan Markle now." Asked if he thinks Harry will make an appearance in Meghan's Season 2, he said: "He probably will. He usually does. He does what he's told." Hugo wishes Harry would do more charitable work and raise awareness of good causes, which would be more in line with the work of the Royal Family. "I'm all for him doing things for Uganda and for other countries like that. I wish he'd do more of it, because he's very good at it, he's very good at it, and he does attract attention to it, to these different enterprises. "Our royal family all are always doing things for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and they aren't seeking to do things for themselves, whereas Harry and Meghan are doing things for themselves. "If he can focus attention on issues in Uganda... That's what he's good at, and that's what he should do much more of, and I think we would greatly respect him if he did." Speaking about the contrast between Meghan's cookery show and Harry's more serious short film, Hugo said: "They are two very different people. "There's a huge contrast between focusing on issues that need to be thought about in Uganda, and being all sort of lovey in the kitchen. "We would take her happy kitchen life much more seriously if we hadn't seen the other Meghan in the Oprah interview. "We've seen how vicious she can be, which is the real Meghan Markle? "The one with the black eyeliner, spitting venom and fury against the royal family, or the one chopping up the petals and scattering them on the salads." He also slammed the show as out-of-touch - wondering if Meghan will heed the backlash to her first season. Across eight 33-minute episodes the mum-of-two made cringe jokes about her bacon, shared recipes with pals, learnt from celeb chefs and even became emotional over bees. But less than an hour after the release, harsh viewers already left scathing criticism. One penned on X: "I'm not even 30 seconds into the first episode and I already know that With Love, Meghan is the FAKESTEST stuff ever." Another added: "Six minutes of with love Meghan... ok only for richest bye bye." "All of Meghan Markle's 'recipes' can be found on Pinterest," claimed someone else. Hugo added: "I don't know about you, but you don't normally wear a white dress in the kitchen, and you usually have an apron of any sort. "It all looked a bit fake. It wasn't even her kitchen anyway. It all looks so easy, and it, yeah, it's out of touch, it's just not relevant. "And there are other people who are professional chefs who are very much better at it." The Sun approached Archewell for comment. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Nicola Peltz is a Posh Wannabe! How Brooklyn Beckham's wife is following in her mother-in-law Victoria's footsteps despite family feud
Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham renewed their vows in an intimate ceremony on August 2, much to the surprise of his family, who were nowhere to be seen amid an ongoing 'feud'. But those looking at the pictures from the lavish event may have experienced déjà vu from when Posh and Becks renewed their vows the first time around in 2006. The loved-up pair earlier this month said 'I do' for the second time, at the heiress family's estate in Westchester County, three years after their multi-million pound wedding bash in 2022. While Brooklyn's seemingly estranged mother and father were not even told about the ceremony, according to The Sun, Nicola's parents took centre stage with her father, Nelson, 83, officiating the ceremony. Those who remember the football star's own go at saying 'I Do' once more however - with which he surprised the ex-Spice Girl after seven years of marriage - nearly two decades ago, may have noticed similarities; and it's not the first time. There have been several instances where it appears the budding chef and his bride have looked to the Beckhams for style inspiration, romantic gestures and their future career moves. But while Nicola opted to wear her mother's repurposed 1985 vintage wedding dress for her recent ceremony, Victoria opted for scaled-down elegance, wearing a basic white floaty frock. However, perhaps the simple look was down to her 'genuinely having no idea' that David wanted to have another set of nuptials. The former Spice Girl has previously recounted how David jetted them from London to Paris for a romantic 24 hour minimoon, as she teased: 'That is some crazy James Bond s**t that went down on the plane let me tell you.' She added: 'I genuinely had no idea. It was the most romantic thing that he has ever done.' Victoria also gave details on the special day earlier this month during an appearance on US talk show Today with Hoda & Jenna, as she explained how she dropped her children off at school and was then whisked away by her husband. 'When we lived in Spain we dropped the kids off at school one morning, I was in a tracksuit, yes I was in a tracksuit,' she joked. 'David said to me "I am going to take you somewhere for the day", so we drive to the airport. We get on a private plane. 'Halfway through the flight David goes into the bathroom and he comes out in a tuxedo, looking so handsome and he says "there's something for you to put on in the bathroom." 'I go into the bathroom and there was a white dress hanging so I put the dress on I put some makeup on and I come out and the plane lands and it lands in London. 'I get off the plane and there is the chauffeur driven car that drove us to our wedding all those years ago when we got married in Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland.' Around two years after David surprised Victoria with a vow renewal ceremony, he reportedly purchased a private vineyard in Napa Valley for his wife, though its location and details have always been kept a secret, claimed The Sun via Hello! Magazine. The sports stat reportedly presented Victoria with the surprise during a trip the US in 2008 and unveiled the vineyard by gifting Victoria a bottle of wine with her name on the label. A close source told The Sun at the time: 'The Beckhams became wine buffs when he played in Spain. The vineyard went down a storm with Victoria. She was delighted.' And it seems Brooklyn has followed in his father's footsteps again, after Hello! magazine reported that his 'ultimate desire' is to own a winery in Napa. The outlet wrote that he wants there to be 'enough land for Nicola to not only rescue as many dogs as possible but for them to also raise miniature cattle'. Unlike other celebrities, Victoria and David haven't publicly marketed any wines from their vineyard and the exact value of the whole property isn't publicly available - however some reports suggest it is 'valued at many millions of dollars'. As well as the Napa Valley vineyard, David and Victoria used to own a £1.5million villa in St Tropez, which had its own vineyard. In 2003, when David left Manchester United, he and Victoria splashed out on the holiday home near the sunny holiday spot. The property had 34 rooms, a heated pool and its own vineyard along with a private chapel. They put in a large amount of money for renovations, adding a black marble kitchen, Moroccan-style pool house and chintzy living room. Other than the grand romantic gestures, Nicola has also worn strikingly similar ensembles to Victoria, paying homage to her distinctive styles throughout the years. Last February, Posh Spice's daughter-in-law stepped out in the stylish Dolce & Gabbana leather jacket, which was the exact same one worn by the fashion designer in 2001. The motocross ensemble worn by Victoria originally cost £965, however, they are now being snapped up second hand for £7,800 on one pre-loved site. During the outing in the French capital, Nicola styled the iconic clothing item with a pair of blue jeans and black platform heeled boots - a look that was no doubt met with an approving nod from Victoria. Last October, the actress and model opted to channel Victoria again with a new hairstyle seemingly inspired by her mother-in-law's early days of fame. She took to Instagram at the time to post a picture with Posh Spice's signature bob. The haircut - styled straight and round-brushed - was part of Victoria's trademark in the late 90s and contributed to her fame both inside and outside of her band, the Spice Girls. The Transformers star put her best fashion forward in a casual ensemble - donning a pair of grey sweatpants, which she rolled down to show off her toned midriff. But she sported a tight black vest top with spaghetti straps - reminiscent of something Victoria would wear, as the chic shade was her trademark colour two decades ago. Nicola paired the relaxed look by donning a pair of black oversized sunglasses, an accessory that Victoria would commonly wear in the early noughties. Many fans flooded the comments to compliment Nicola on her new hair, with some saying that she looks like the spitting image of Brooklyn's mother. Other than wearing black mini dresses, Victoria would also opt for an all-white suit when performing in her girl band era. Last year, Nicola was seen donning a white Victoria Beckham corset and flared leg trouser outfit for a film premiere in LA, echoing the designer's style. Another of Victoria's famous looks was her all-black leather outfit at a Versace party in 1999, where she matched with David. Nearly a quarter of a century later, their daughter-in-law posed in a leather jacket and black sunglasses for an Instagram snap, with fans probably wondering whether they were seeing double. It comes amid tensions going back three years now, as Nicola and Victoria were said to be embroiled The Beckhams were said to be upset by the Peltzes in 2022, after Brooklyn's bride sported a Valentino number for her nuptials, claiming that the ex-Spice Girl 'blanked her for days' after offering to design her gown before blowing her plans out of the water and saying her studio couldn't make actually make it. The drama was bolstered by the fact that Victoria not only wore her own dress design on the day - but four of her dearest friends and her own mother attended the nuptials wearing her looks. Doting husband Brooklyn made his position clear amid the family feud at the time, telling the publication that Nicola is his 'number one priority' and that they 'have each other's back 100 per cent'. However, despite the tensions, in 2024 it was revealed that the pair put their differences aside and made up over $2-per-pop vodka cocktails and Sunday afternoons playing Nicola's favourite memory game - named Fish Bowl. Sources last year claimed they were 'closer than ever' as Brooklyn, in another conversation with Grazia, gushed: 'We love Sunday roasts. Me and my dad share a bottle of wine. My mum and Nicola share vodka Snapple. 'We don't really watch TV - we just talk and just have fun. It's just about being in the moment, having a drink, eating food and enjoying each other's company.' But it appears, perhaps, that the peace may have been short-lived following what appear to be fresh, frostier relations between Nicola and her in-laws. Tensions were felt in May, earlier this year, when the pair were no shows at any of David's 50th birthday celebrations - with The Mail revealing that Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull had been made the 'scapegoat' in the feud. Since then, seeming snubs and exchanges have been felt between both parties - as well as the occasional hints at what may be peace offerings. Family feuds are not unheard of to David, whose father, Ted, was said to be a harsh taskmaster while he was growing up. It is said that he would berate him for any tiny footballing mistakes on the training pitch and matches - and this tough love spilt into his marriage. David admitted as they were growing up, he never saw his father be tender to his mother. He wrote in his 2001 autobiography: 'He loves my mum but he's never been affectionate to her in front of my two sisters and me. He's quite hard-faced and can be sarcastic. 'He also gets fired up easily... The quality I like least in myself is my short temper. I think I get it from my dad.' Ted and David also struggled to bond when the former England captain moved to Real Madrid in 2003 - with Ted admitting the distance meant he feared he'd 'lost him forever'. This was compounded by the 2005 publication of his unauthorised biography David Beckham: My Son, which only deepened the rift. In 2007, Ted suffered a near fatal heart attack - but even then, years passed before a more official rekindling. By 2021 however, old wounds appear to have healed as David was the best man at his father's wedding to partner Hilary in December 2021.
