In her upcoming memoir Uptown Girl, Christie Brinkley revisits the passionate yet turbulent marriage that made her and Billy Joel one of the ’80s most iconic couples—and the painful realization that forced her to walk away.
Though the supermodel, now 70, describes their nine-year union as “wonderful” and believes they were “probably really soulmates,” Joel’s struggles with alcoholism ultimately shattered their fairytale.
Brinkley fondly recalls their nomadic lifestyle—jet-setting between his concerts and her photoshoots—as an “amazing time” of adventure. But behind the glamour lay devastating absences: Joel would disappear for days, missing milestone moments like their daughter Alexa Ray’s fifth birthday and family Thanksgivings.
The final straw came during a band rehearsal at their home, when a delusional Joel accused his musicians of eating pasta he’d already consumed. “I’d never seen him like that before,” Brinkley confesses. The next morning, she asked for a divorce despite having “never wanted to end things.”
The Sports Illustrated legend emphasizes she exhausted every option beforehand, devouring self-help books and attending therapy with Joel. “I’ll love him forever,” she says now, praising his growth as a father.
But in that chaotic kitchen moment, she knew: “I couldn’t live with him.” Decades later, Brinkley’s reflections reveal a love story both magical and mournful—one where “Uptown Girl” chose peace over paradise.
