Billy Joel Dated Supermodels Elle Macpherson and Christie Brinkley at the Same Time
Daniel Cobb
Updated on February 23, 2026
Singer-songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley made for one of the most talked-about pairings of the '80s. While many were surprised to find the cover model with a "downtown guy" like Joel, what may have surprised them more was learning that when they started seeing each other, Joel was already involved with another famous beauty: Elle Macpherson. Read on for details on his concurrent relationships with the fashion icons and the truth about which model inspired one of his biggest hits.
RELATED: Luke Perry Secretly Dated Madonna in the '90s, Tori Spelling Just Revealed.
He met them on the same night.
The 2014 biography The Definitive Billy Joel by Fred Schruers revealed how the "Piano Man" singer had traveled to the island of St. Barts for some rest and relaxation in 1983 and wound up meeting both models, who were visiting the island on a shoot. Newly divorced from first wife Elizabeth Weber, the then-34-year-old was playing in the hotel bar when the models approached him.
"I was just knocking out some tunes, and after a couple minutes I happen to look up, and there, standing on the other side of it, were Elle Macpherson and Christie Brinkley—looking directly at me," he recalled, sharing that he promptly thanked his piano for making the moment possible.
RELATED: Harry Hamlin Claims Ex-Wife Nicollette Sheridan Cheated on Him With Michael Bolton.
He dated Macpherson first.
At the time, Brinkley was involved with champagne heir Olivier Chandon, leading Joel and the 19-year-old Macpherson to pair up. ("Not that I was settling for Elle," he added of the future supermodel, 15 years his junior, per Schruers' book.) As Macpherson's career blossomed alongside their relationship, she began traveling more frequently which, along with the age gap, led Joel to doubt their future together and to pen the breakup-themed "And So It Goes" about her, according to his biography.
"I did have a strategy for that song—almost every chord had a dissonant note in it, which to me was conveying what's just beneath the words: a kind of pessimism and resignation, because I knew it really wasn't going to work out," he explained.
He brought Brinkley home to Macpherson one night.
When Macpherson headed to Europe for work, Joel began seeing other women. After he read in the paper that Chandon had been killed in a racing accident, he phoned Brinkley to offer a friendly shoulder to cry on, according to his biography. However, their friendship took a turn one night after they attended a Beach Boys concert together before heading back to Joel's place. Riding the elevator up to his Central Park West penthouse, the pair was in for a surprise, as he recounted. "The doors opened right onto my foyer, and just beyond it, waiting for us, the perfect view of Central Park and the city beyond, all lit up—except that standing in the foyer, blocking that view, was Elle, back in town with all her luggage and apparently planning to stay the night," Joel told Schruers.
Although Joel recalled that Brinkley "politely bowed out" to her nearby apartment, Macpherson later recounted the night in a 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, claiming that that she got kicked out in favor of Brinkley.
"We were living together. I had the upstairs … in Central Park West," Macpherson told host Andy Cohen, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. "We were friendly, and I think he was dating Christie at the time, just starting to. So yeah, I got ousted."
Joel and Brinkley went on to marry in 1985 and have one daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, before divorcing in 1994.
RELATED: Linda Hamilton Says It Wasn't James Cameron's On-Set Affair That Ended Their Marriage.
"Uptown Girl" is not just about Brinkley.
Although Brinkley walked away with Joel, Macpherson may hold claim to another of his greatest hits. During WWHL, Cohen brought up rumors that Joel's 1983 single "Uptown Girl" may have been written about Macpherson and not Brinkley, who starred in the video. According to The Definitive Billy Joel, the artist first penned the tune, originally titled "Uptown Girls," during his Macpherson era. The Australian model refused to take all the credit, however.
"I think it was all the uptown girls, put it that way," she told Cohen. "I don't need to take ownership over that. He liked tall girls."
For more celebrity couple nostalgia sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
69-Year-Old Christie Brinkley Slams Age-Shamers
The 69-year-old supermodel received hate on an untouched photo of her face.June 30, 2023Christie Brinkley Reveals 7 Beauty Secrets
From skincare to makeup to hair, the model shares her top beauty secrets.March 12, 2023Why Elle Macpherson Regrets "Friends" Role
The supermodel played Joey's dancer roommate Janine in Season 6.April 16, 2023Supermodel Beverly Johnson Talks Sobriety
She said models of that time were "led to believe that cocaine was not addictive."January 18, 2024Linda Evangelista Is Not Interested in Dating
The 58-year-old explains why she's no longer pursuing romantic relationships.November 27, 2023See Three Iconic '90s Supermodels Reunite
Their fellow models were thrilled to see the pics, too.December 20, 2022See Janice Dickinson Now at 67
The fashion icon and reality TV star has lived a rollercoaster life.April 10, 2022See '80s Supermodel Kathy Ireland Now
She's gone through a major career change since her modeling days.March 14, 2022Nicollette Sheridan Denies Affair
Lisa Rinna told the story on an episode of <em>Real Housewives</em>.December 12, 2023Shania Twain's Husband Cheated With Her BFF
The singer and her ex-husband/producer Mutt Lange split in 2008.August 19, 2023
