Christie Brinkley has offered fans a reassuring update on the health of her ex-husband Billy Joel, who wrote his iconic hit song "Uptown Girl" for her. The 72-year-old model and the 76-year-old musician were married from 1985 to 1994 and share a 40-year-old daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. Despite their divorce, the pair have maintained a warm and close friendship over the decades, with Joel often serenading Brinkley with "Uptown Girl" when she attended his concerts.
Joel's Health Battle
Last May, Joel was forced to cancel his tour after revealing he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a brain condition that causes fluid buildup. He explained that the illness affected his hearing, vision, and balance. Now, 11 months after going public with his diagnosis, Brinkley has shared that he is "doing very well" in his battle with the illness, speaking to Hello! magazine.
Alexa Ray Joel Performs at Tribute Concert
Carnegie Hall hosted a tribute concert for Joel in March, where Alexa performed his song "This Night" while Joel watched proudly from the audience. Brinkley said Alexa "was so excited to be able to perform for him and I was sorry that I had to miss that night. I was out of town, but otherwise it was so wonderful."
Brinkley made her comments at the City Harvest 2026 Benefit Gala in New York, where her youthful appearance sparked speculation online. One fan on Reddit marveled, "How on earth can Christie still look like she is in her 50s when she is in her 70s?" while another on X gushed, "She must have a good plastic surgeon because this is so unreal."
Understanding NPH
NPH can be treated with surgery if caught early, but if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage. Last month, Alexa revealed that Joel was "doing physical therapy regularly" and had "lost weight as he's on his diet." She praised him, saying, "I'm so proud of him. He's such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He's a fighter."
Joel himself attempted to reassure fans last July, telling People magazine, "I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I'm okay." He noted that his condition was not widely understood, saying, "What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it." He also revealed that he began to suspect something was wrong when he experienced balance issues, describing it as "like being on a boat all the time."
Joel's Reflections on His Marriage to Brinkley
In his recent HBO documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," Joel candidly discussed his relationship with Brinkley and the heartbreak of their separation. He said, "Here I am dating this beautiful supermodel and...me? I'm from Hicksville. What am I doing with her? What's she doing with me? But that was a very productive time for me. I wrote a lot of songs for her. She was a muse."
Joel described their early romance as "like being a teenager all over again," but the marriage eventually crumbled under the strain of his showbiz career. "I was in a relationship with someone who I cared deeply about. But I was not able to be at home. I was not able to be with my family. It was a very sad time for me," he said. "I realized love is not concrete. You feel like it is, but there are things eating away at it. And in the end, it all catches up. It's hard. I was so devastated."
