When I think about rock ’n’ roll sex symbols, Billy Joel does not come to mind. I know he’s a hell of a musician and probably richer than I can even conceive, but the fact that he dated not one but two of the 80s and 90s most famous supermodels makes me think that he must have some hidden qualities.
During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Australian model Elle MacPherson was asked by a caller about an incident Billy recounted in his biography where he brought Christie Brinkley back to his penthouse, while Elle was also living there, and the two models came face-to-face. Billy wrote in his biography that, in that moment, “Part of me thought, ‘Oh god.’ Another part of me was going, ‘Holy crap, if my friends could see me now!’”
So, back to WWHL. Elle responded to the caller’s question by saying that, yes, she did indeed share a penthouse with the Piano Man in Central Park West (she occupied the upstairs portion of the pad) and said, “I think he was dating Christie at the time, just starting to. So yeah, I got ousted, what can I say?”
When host Andy Cohen asked if she or Christie was the inspiration for Billy’s hit “Uptown Girl”, Elle said, “I think it’s [about] all the uptown girls, put it that way.” Fellow guest Terrence Howard interjected, “He had a thing for models” and Elle backed him up, saying, “he liked tall girls.” I do get that. Billy is 5’5” , Elle is 6’ and Christie is 5’9”. My dad is 5’7” and my mom is 5’9 (6’1” in her heels, which she was rarely seen out of in public in her heyday). It’s definitely a “thing.”
In a recent interview with Australia’s Herald Sun, Elle discussed her age. She said that “I love being 54. I’m still here and I’m turning 55 and I’m just so grateful.” She added, “I’m strong, I’m fit, I have two amazing sons and I’ve learnt a lot along the way and I’m really grateful that I’m as happy and healthy as I am.” Side note: her son Flynn Busson is not too hard on the eyes.
Photos: WENN, Getty, Instagram
„I‘ve learnt a lot along the way“
I doubt that since she‘s dating that monstrous Andrew Wakefield.
Let’s not forget that Elle also admitted eating illegal powdered rhino horn as a beauty treatment. She believes an alkaline diet contributes to her health. There are no scientific studies that back up such quackery. She denies having any plastic surgery, but that deceptive statement doesn’t rule out cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers.
C’mon Elle, you look tweaked. You’ve maintained your figure and your mind is mush.
and Terrence Howard (who is an abuser) is “gorgeous”?
Andy Cohen, I’m giving you the eye, too. WTH?
So were they dating or were they just housemates? It seems kind of unclear from what I read (maybe it’s just me). Pretty ballsy (and douchey) of BJ if they were actually dating when he brought another woman home.
Edit: Just reread it. So I’m gathering that they were dating and he brought CB back to the penthouse not expecting Elle to be there? I need answers people (not really, but that’s nuts)!
THANK YOU!! I am confused and curious too! Answers anyone?
I got caught up in that detail, too. It does sound like she was just living there, in her own sort of wing. But why would either her or Joel need a roommate given their presumably robust finances. Maybe they were friends with benefits? A new girlfriend would likely not appreciate a woman living in her bf’s house even if their relationship was mostly platonic.
Perhaps she was crashing there; if she was “living on the top floor”, doesn’t sound like living WITH him. Kind of sounds like that they were “friends with benefits”.
According to Elle’s Wiki page, she dated Joel and he wrote 2 songs about their relationship. That doesn’t seem platonic. As is often the case, there was likely some overlap before he got serious with Christie. Add in the Hollywood element and it’s all these celebs playing musical chairs: dating edition. Yuck.
Thanks for the info. Who knew BJ had some so much game? 😉
Since she was careful to specify that she lived upstairs in separate living space, it kinda sounds like they were together/living together romantically, but broke up, Elle was going to be moving out eventually but was staying there in the upstairs “wing” in the meantime, and Billy brought Christie home while she was still there/before she had a chance to move out. Which is hella awkward and still douchey of Billy…
and there’s Terrence Howard. Sigh. Untouched by any movement, despite his alleged abuse of women and misogyny.
His abused is not “alleged”…he did it…police reports and everythang….and neither is his misogyny…..I cannot STAND him!!!!
yeah, that irked me, too.
F Andy Cohen for having him on, and F McPherson for calling him “gorgeous”.
Isnt she dating the hack that started the anti-vaxx movement???
Andrew Wakefield, yes!
I actually had to look up to see how old Elle is (54 apparently), because this story gave me all kinds of icky feelings. I’m not sure what year this all was, but it had to have been around 1983 or 1984 I would think, which means Elle was probably about 19 or 20. I was thinking she was much younger than that and was starting to wonder if Billy lived with her when she was 11 or 12. Phew!
Hidden qualities = lots of money.
Billy Joel is a tool.
The way Billy Joel treated his first wife…who was there…before the begin of the beginning…the TOTAL disrespect that he showcased her…made me TOTALLY change my mind about him…and I have LOVED him since I was a little girl…in the early 70s….But he’s got some MAJOR ISSUES when it comes to women…and his insecurities….
So yea…I can TOTALLY believe that he had a teen-age Elle living with him and bought Christie home too…he probably thought he’d get a threesome out of it…either way…he used Christie to play out a pretty disgusting agenda on his part…and obviously she had no problem with it…
He is the typical ugly, short dude who never got laid in high school and now screws all the tall, blonde models because he is rich and famous. Cliche AF, Billy. I will always like his music though
ME TOO! I will say this…in the last 20 years…he has gone out and got the psychological help that he always DESPERATELY needed…and that shows…so I STILL stan for him…because seriously…I would be TRULY DEVASTATED if I had to put him on the shelf…I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t listen to “Rosalinda’s Eyes”…or heck, THAT WHOLE ALBUM once a month….
He’s HORRIBLE boyfriend/husband material…
MAGNIFICENT musician
I can live with that…
Billy’s first wife, and her brother, actually embezzled most of the money he earned at that point, so no “disrespecting” was going on. She had an affair and stole from him.
Billy’s first wife, Elizabeth, got him to sign over all of the rights to his song catalog to her brother and left Billy virtually broke. He didn’t own the rights to ANY of his music. He trusted them, and they screwed him. So yeah, no respect for wifey #1 and the BIL. Took him many years to build back his $$$$$. Christie was the one who figured out he had been screwed.
Which makes him ditching his back up band even crueler. There’s a documentary about session players called Sideman (I think) and Billy Joel comes across very very badly.
An ugly sandwich??
I thought I saw Steven Tyler when I did a fast scroll through this article. But no, it’s just Elle MacPhillers.
Very funny! Totally in spirit with the “bitchy” part of “Celebitchy”!
Bedroom musicals chairs by most celebs is getting really, really tiresome. I’ve lost track of all the switching partners of most celebs.
I will give her credit, at 54 she is impressively still managing her figure. Christ on a cracker, look at that tiny waist on her.
I’ve gone completely the other direction, soft, doughy, and chubby. And, I’m happier at 57 vs. my younger trimmer age.
Of course, she makes her living with her looks so she must keep up.
Billy Joel is a man with a lot of issues about women. He did treat his first wife horribly.
Credit to his musical talent, tho. He does have a ton of talent and that will always be there.
I ALWAYS wondered if that was one of the reasons why his ex-brother-in-law…who was Billy’s business manager…ripped him off for every dime that he had…cause he got sick of watching Billy dog out his sister for YEARS!!!
You gotta think about the mindset of a man…who would let his FINANCIAL AFFAIRS be handled by the BROTHER of the WOMAN he is constantly dogging out!
and now for some reason I just have billy joel’s “tell her about it” in my head…
from these 3 women in the comments (the first wife, Elle and Christie) I think only Christie was and is still likeable
PS. The son looks exactly like John Mayer!! I for a second thought it was him
It’s totally a thing. My gorgeous 5’8″ friend has a husband who is maybe 5’5″. He loves how tall she is and loves it when she wears heels, especially. I think it’s great!
‘if my friends could see me now’
ah yes billy-play with women’s emotions to boost your ego to make you feel good-because its not like you’re BILLY JOEL and you don’t get much attention or praise. a woman’s feelings and well being are collateral damage in your pursuit of feeling good.
Shame on her for directly supporting rhino hunting/horn harvesting. However, pretty sure low-inflammation diets (Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic, etc., all have pages with evidence on this) do support better health as well as things like athletic performance.
The short guy / tall woman thing is definitely a thing. Jerry Bruckheimer knows about this and according to Rosie H he deliberately played it up in the Transformers films with Shia Lebouf vs Rosie H.