Billy Joel has revealed deeply personal and painful chapters from his early life in the new documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premiered Wednesday at the Tribeca Festival. The 76-year-old music icon opened up about multiple suicide attempts following a secret affair with Elizabeth Weber — the wife of his then-best friend and Attila bandmate, Jon Small.
“I Was Just in a Lot of Pain”
The Piano Man recounted how the romance unfolded while he was living in the couple’s home during his 20s. Elizabeth Weber, featured in the documentary, described their relationship as a “slow build,” while Joel admitted, “I’m in love with your wife,” to Small when confronted.
“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,” Joel shared, visibly emotional. “I got punched in the nose, which I deserved.”
The fallout was swift and devastating — it ended Attila, shattered his friendship with Small, and sent Joel spiraling into a deep depression. Homeless and heartbroken, he began sleeping in laundromats and drinking heavily.
“It was like — why hang around? Tomorrow’s going to be just like today. And today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all,” Joel recalled.
Two Suicide Attempts, One Lifesaving Friend
Joel first tried to take his life by consuming an entire bottle of sleeping pills given by his sister, Judy Molinari, who broke down in the documentary:
“He was in a coma for days. When I saw him in the hospital, he was white as a sheet. I thought I’d killed him.”
Later, he attempted suicide again — this time by drinking an entire bottle of lemon-scented furniture polish, Lemon Pledge. Despite their broken relationship, Jon Small was the one who rushed him to the hospital.
“Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,” Joel said, adding, “He never said much about it — maybe he loved me that much that hurting him killed me.”
Jon Small, reflecting in the film, said:
“Eventually, I forgave him.”
A Complicated Love Story
In a twist of fate, Billy Joel and Elizabeth Weber later married in 1973, and remained together until their divorce in 1982. Despite the emotional wreckage and personal loss, the relationship went on to define a significant part of Joel’s life and career.