Billy Joel has offered a deeply emotional glimpse into one of the darkest chapters of his life in his newly released documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The legendary singer opened up about the profound guilt and despair he felt after engaging in a romantic relationship with Elizabeth Weber Small, who at the time was married to his bandmate, Jon Small. Joel’s raw confession painted a haunting picture of a man consumed by the pain of having contributed to the collapse of a family. Reflecting on that period, he admitted, “I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker.” He described the emotional fallout as devastating, recounting how Jon physically confronted him, knocking him unconscious and leaving him in a coma, an event that marked the beginning of a steep emotional decline.
Joel disclosed that his downward spiral led to two suicide attempts, a revelation that stunned audiences. He explained that his sister Judy, then working as a medical assistant, had given him pills to help him sleep—but overwhelmed by guilt, he took them all at once. Judy, recalling that harrowing moment, said she found him in the hospital “white as a sheet” and feared she had lost him forever. Despite surviving that incident, Joel later made another attempt, only to be saved by Jon Small—the very man he had once betrayed. The irony of being saved by the person most affected by his actions underscores just how complex and painful that chapter was for everyone involved.
Adding a contrasting layer of perspective, Elizabeth Weber Small, who had remained publicly silent for over four decades, also took part in the documentary and shared her thoughts with People magazine. Despite the scandal that surrounded their relationship, she described their time together as positive, stating, “It was great then, it’s great whenever I think about it, and it’s great now.” She recalled their nine-year marriage fondly and emphasized her active role in Joel’s career, as she managed his business during those formative years. While the couple never had children, she stood by his side during a critical period in his professional rise.
Billy Joel would go on to marry three more times after his split from Weber and establish himself as one of the most enduring icons in music. Yet, as this documentary reveals, his path to success was far from easy or glamorous. It was lined with emotional wounds, guilt, and mental health struggles that remained hidden behind the public persona for decades. His willingness to confront those demons publicly now offers a sobering reminder that even the brightest stars can carry immense pain behind closed doors.