Billy Joel’s ex-wife breaks silence on his ‘homewrecker’ label after leaving her first husband for singer

Billy Joel’s ex-wife Elizabeth Weber has addressed his ‘homewrecker’ label after she left her first husband for the singer. 

The 76-year-old Piano Man hitmaker was in a rock band called Attila with best friend Jon Small – who had been married to Elizabeth. 

When still married to Jon, both she and Billy embarked in an affair – which resulted in the disbandment of the rock duo. The Uptown Girl hitmaker also recently confessed that he had attempted suicide twice and fell into a coma after the infidelity. 

Billy and Elizabeth eventually tied the knot in 1973, but their divorce was finalized nearly a decade later in 1982. 

However during an interview with Us Weekly on Friday, Elizabeth revealed, ‘I never thought of Bill as the homewrecker.’ 

She then added that she needed to ‘tread carefully’ and explained she ‘didn’t have a great romance’ with Jon. 

‘The home was wrecked. We didn’t have a deep connection, Jon and I. Almost in a way, my life began again when my son was born. Sean just lit up every room.’

Elizabeth shares son Sean with ex-husband Jon. 

‘He was an adorable, precocious child. So I really never thought of Bill as a homewrecker because there wasn’t much home to wreck,’ she expressed to the outlet.

In regards to her past relationship with the singer, she stated that they both ‘became, like, an arc.’ 

The mom-of-one further explained, ‘We were unto ourselves with Sean. So, I wasn’t seeking anyone’s approval because while I don’t really play an instrument anymore, I’m kind of rock and roll, too. 

‘I’m outside of the boundaries. And I decided in those days that I wanted to live a certain life.’ 

In the years following their divorce, Elizabeth said that they are still in contact with each other but not as close. 

‘If I wanna talk to him or if I have something to say, I am able to contact him whenever I want to.’  

However, she noted that the singer has moved on and married fourth wife Alexis Roderick in 2015 – and the pair are also parents to two children. 

‘But, he has a wife and he has children and, right now, he’s struggling with something that’s…that’s a big thing.’ 

Earlier this year in May, the Piano Man singer announced that he has been diagnosed with a brain disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). 

The star canceled his upcoming concerts at the time, with the condition affecting his ‘hearing, vision, and balance.’ 

However, the disorder is treatable and Billy gave a health update in June saying he ‘feels fine.’  

Last month in July, both Billy and Elizabeth candidly reflected on their affair for HBO’s documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. 

The performer opened up like never before – revealing he attempted suicide twice and fell into a coma after having an affair with his best friend’s wife. 

In his early 20s, Billy was living with his Attila bandmate and best friend Jon, along with Jon’s wife Elizabeth and their young son, when he began a secret affair with her. 

‘I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,’ Billy explained in the documentary. ‘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 fallout ended Attila, shattered Billy’s friendship with Jon, and left the future Piano Man broken and alone after Elizabeth took off – though they would eventually reunite.

‘I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic,’ he said.

‘So I figured, “That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.” I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like, why hang out? Tomorrow’s going to be just like today, and today sucks. So I just thought I’d end it all.’

At the height of his breakdown, Billy turned to his sister, Judy Molinari, who was working as a medical assistant at the time.

Hoping to help him rest, she gave him some sleeping pills – never expecting what would happen next.

‘But Billy decided that he was going to take all of them… he was in a coma for days and days and days,’ she recalled in the documentary.

‘I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.’

‘I was very selfish,’ he said, reflecting on the mindset that led to his first suicide attempt.

Waking up in the hospital, Billy said he didn’t feel relief or regret – instead, he became fixated on making a second attempt. Judy revealed that Billy’s second attempt involved drinking a bottle of Lemon Pledge furniture polish.

It was Jon – despite their fractured friendship – who rushed him to the hospital.

‘Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,’ Billy said. 

Jon later reflected on why the betrayal may have hit Billy so hard. ‘He never really said anything to me. 

‘The only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually I forgave him.’

After surviving the attempts, Billy voluntarily admitted himself into an ‘observation ward.’ He was released after a couple of weeks.

The singer’s heartbreak and depression fueled his 1971 debut album Cold Spring Harbor, including the track She’s Got a Way, inspired by Elizabeth.

The two eventually rekindled their romance, marrying in 1973, with Elizabeth stepping in as his manager soon after.

Elizabeth also inspired other hits like The Stranger, She’s Always a Woman, and even appeared as the ‘waitress practicing politics’ in Piano Man.

However, her patience ran out amid Billy’s escalating substance abuse, and she left both as his manager and wife around the time of his 1982 motorcycle accident.

Meanwhile, Billy recently updated longtime friend Howard Stern on his health after revealing he’s been battling the brain condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). 

‘He does have issues, but he said, “Yeah, you can tell people, I’m not dying,”‘ Howard said on his Sirius XM show The Howard Stern Show, adding, ‘He wants people to know that.’

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