Billy Joel reveals multiple suicide attempts after having affair with friend’s wife
By Riley Cardoza
Billy Joel cancels tour performances after mysterious health diagnosis
Billy Joel attempted suicide twice after having an affair with his friend’s wife.
The “Piano Man” singer opened up about the painful period of his life in the new documentary, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” which premiered Wednesday.
The Grammy winner, 76, recalled falling “in love” with pal — and Attila bandmate — Jon Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber, while living in their home in his 20s (via People).
Billy Joel in June 2023
11
Billy Joel twice attempted suicide after having an affair with his friend’s wife.
Getty Images
Billy Joel and Elizabeth Weber in 1981
11
The singer fell “in love” with Elizabeth Weber, who was married to his bandmate, in his 20s.
Getty Images
Billy Joel and Jon Small in 1970
11
Joel’s pal Jon Small “punched” the musician when he found out about the infidelity.
Michael Ochs Archives
Explore More
Split images of Alexa Ray Joel and Billy Joel with an inset of Christie Brinkley, Billy Joel and Alexa Ray Joel in 1988.
Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley’s daughter, Alexa, gushes over ‘most resilient’ dad after health diagnosis
Billy Joel’s ex-wife Christie Brinkley speaks out after singer is diagnosed with brain disorder
Billy Joel cancels tour performances after mysterious health diagnosis
“Bill and I spent a lot of time together,” Weber said of their “slow build” romance.
When the infidelity came to light, Joel felt “very, very guilty” and “like a homewrecker,” especially since the couple “had a child.”
The musician felt he “deserved” it when “upset” Small “punched [him] in the nose.”
Billy Joel
11
Joel felt “very, very guilty.”
Redferns
Billy Joel in 1977
11
He became “depressed … to the point of almost being psychotic.”
Michael Ochs Archives
Want more celebrity and pop culture news?
Start your day with Page Six Daily.\
Joel was also “very upset” with “no place to live,” so he began “sleeping in laundromats.”
He remembered, “I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic. So I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.’
“I was just in a lot of pain,” Joel continued. “It was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all.”
Billy Joel in January 1978
11
The Grammy winner subsequently overdosed on sleeping pills.
Getty Images
Billy Joel in 1978
11
He wound up in a coma.
Getty Images
When his sister, Judy Molinari, provided sleeping pills to help him rest, Joel “took them all.”
Molinari tearfully told viewers, “He was in a coma for days and days and days. I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was lying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.”
Joel attempted to end his life a second time by drinking a bottle of lemon Pledge — and it was Small who took him to the hospital that time around.
“Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,” the songwriter gushed.
Billy Joel in December 2022 performance
11
Joel attempted suicide a second time, with Small taking him to the hospital.
WireImage
Billy Joel in November 2024 performance
11
After time in an observation ward, he learned to “channel” emotions into music.
Getty Images
He subsequently checked himself into an observation ward and realized he could “utilize all those emotions to channel that stuff into music.”
Small, notably, forgave Joel, who later reconnected with Weber and was married to her from 1973 to 1982.
The pianist has been married three other times to Christie Brinkley, Katie Lee and his current wife, Alexis Roderick.
Brinkley, 71, recently discussed their time together in her April memoir, “Uptown Girl.”
Elizabeth Weber and Billy Joel
11
Small eventually forgave Joel, who went on to marry Weber.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Elizabeth Weber at "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" premiere Wednesday
11
The first of his four wives attended Wednesday’s premiere of his “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” documentary.
Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
The following month, Joel revealed he suffers from a rare brain disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus. He was also notably absent from his documentary’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere.
“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” will stream on HBO Max later this summer.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings