Billy Joel's Love Life: Affair With Bandmate's Wife, 2 Divorces On Addiction, 33Yr Age Gap With Wife

Billy Joel has been in the headlines for quiet some time know after he revealed that he is dealing with a rare brain condition which led him to cancel his concerts. While fans have been concerned about his health, his love life has taken the spotlight once again after HBO's new documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, premiered at Tribeca Festival on June 4 and began airing on TV in July 2025. 

In the documentary, Billy Joel opened up about his long dating life like never before. Across its two parts, the documentary has revealed key details about his high-profile relationships and the women closest to him. Amid new insights surfacing regularly, here is everything you must know about Billy Joel's famous romances over the years.

Billy Joel felt like a ‘homewrecker’ after falling for his bandmate's wife, changed Uptown Girls for Christie

One of the most surprising revelations in the documentary is about Billy Joel's first marriage to Elizabeth Weber, who was previously married to his bandmate, Jon Small. Gradually, Billy began to have an affair with Elizabeth while living with the duo and their son. She was the inspiration behind his classic songs, She’s Got a Way and She's Always a Woman and Just the Way You Are. Her intellect and fearless attitude impressed him, which ended in a breakup. Recalling his feelings, Billy said in his documentary:

"I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman, and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset."

The couple later reunited and tied the knot in 1973, but they filed for divorce in 1982. His second major romance was a treasure for the media. Initially, he dated model, Elle Macpherson, who was 14 years his junior, but after things didn't work out, he fell for her friend, Christie Brinkley. They reunited after her then-boyfriend, was killed in a racecar accident. He changed his iconic song, Uptown Girls to Uptown Girl after her, and they got married in 1985. The duo welcomed a daughter, but the picture-perfect union ended due to his alcohol issues in 1994. The model who now shares a cordial bond with him recalled in her memoir: 

“I did everything for our marriage, constantly working to make myself, our home, and everything around us into whatever he could want or hope for. But his drinking was bigger than both of us. Booze was the other woman.”

Billy Joel had an age gap of more than 30 years with his third and fourth wives 

Billy's third controversial marriage was to cookbook author, Katie Lee. They bumped into each other at a hotel in 2002 and soon got married in 2004. Their relationship was in headlines due to their 32-year age gap, but cracks soon appeared. In his documentary, Billy recalled that she urged him to seek treatment for his alcohol addiction, and he reluctantly began rehab. However, it strained their bond, which ended with a divorce in 2009. Recalling the phase, Katie said:

“In a lot of ways, it was hard to recover from that. I don’t think either of us wanted it to not work out, but it just became obvious that it wasn’t working.”

After all the failed marriages, Billy didn't give up on love and found his soul mate in his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick. She is an an equestrian and former executive at Morgan Stanley who he met in 2009 and asked her for a ride home from a restaurant. It was love at first sight for him and they soon began dating. They had an unexpected wedding in 2015 when she was already pregnant with their first daughter. She is 33 years younger than him, and they became parents to two daughters. After all the ups and downs, she has been by his side, and together they are dealing with his rare brain condition and going strong.

What do you think about Billy Joel's four marriages and stride to find love? Let us know.

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