Billy Joel's ex Christie Brinkley breaks silence on his brain disorder diagnosis

Yahoo

25-05-2025

The Piano Man and his Uptown Girl.
Billy Joel's ex-wife Christie Brinkley showed her support for the singer, 76, after he announced he's been diagnosed with a type of brain disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Brinkley, 71, shared an Instagram post Saturday with clips of her and her daughter, Sailor Brinkley Cook, 26, at one of Joel's concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The footage included a moment where Sailor — whom Brinkley shares with ex-husband Peter Cook — sang Joel's hit song 'You May Be Right' next to him backstage at his concert.
'Dear Billy, The whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,' Brinkley began her caption.
'I was looking for some cute photos of you and Alexa to send you, when I came across this clip from a recent concert,' the supermodel continued. 'It made me laugh ..but it also reminded me of all the joy you create, and all the sensational sing a longs you've lead… you turn an arena of strangers into a living room full of friends as we all sway in unison.'
Brinkley went on, 'I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone in that room when I say please take good care of yourself, we all want you back in that white hot spotlight, you're OUR piano man And we're always in the mood for your melodies And we all hope you're feeling alright!'
'We Love You, the kids, me and an arena or two!' Brinkley concluded.
Joel and Brinkley were married from 1985 to 1994 and share daughter Alexa Ray Joel, 39.
Alexa shared her own tribute to her dad following the news of his health diagnosis.
'My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I've ever known… and he's entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength,' she captioned an Instagram post, which featured a black and white painting that seemingly showed Joel holding hands with Alexa as a little girl.
'We love you and we got you, Pop,' she also wrote.
The 'Honesty' singer confirmed Friday that he was canceling all his upcoming tour dates due to his normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis.
The disorder happens when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, disrupting cognitive functioning, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Joel's statement said that 'this condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.'
'Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period,' the message added.
Joel previously postponed several tour dates in March due to a 'medical condition.'
In February, the Grammy Award winner fell on stage during his concert in Connecticut.