A new documentary sheds light on the mental health challenges Billy Joel experienced in his 20s. The first half of the documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, premiered at Tribeca Festival on June 4, 2025. In it, Billy Joel, now 76, admitted to falling in love with his best friend’s wife.
In the aftermath of the affair, the “Piano Man” struggled with depression. Of course, the affair also impacted his relationship with his then-best friend and bandmate, Jon Small. “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 singer said in the documentary, per People.
After falling in love with Jon’s wife, Elizabeth Weber, Billy felt “very, very guilty.” “They had a child,” he said. I felt like a homewrecker.”
He struggled to cope with these feelings and turned to drinking. In the documentary, he described feeling extremely “depressed” and “sleeping in laundromats” because he “had no place to live.” He began to struggle with suicidal ideation, and ended up attempting suicide.
“I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore,'” he said, adding “I was just in a lot of pain and 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.”
After his first suicide attempt, Billy was “in a coma for days and days and days.” The suicidal thoughts didn’t go away. When he attempted suicide a second time, his estranged friend Jon was the one who saved his life by taking him to the hospital.
In the documentary, Jon shared his perspective on the situation. “He never really said anything to me,” he said. “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.”
But Billy Joel could not attend the documentary premiere. Recently, he learned he has the brain condition normal pressure hydrocephalus.
In a note shared with fans, he said, “Getting old sucks, but it’s still preferable to getting cremated.”
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
