Christie Brinkley shared that her ex-husband Billy Joel is on the mend almost a year after being diagnosed with the rare brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
The model told Hello! Magazine on Tuesday, âHeâs doing very well.â
The disorder occurs when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, disrupting cognitive functioning.
Along with the support from Brinkley, 72 â who was married to the musician from 1985 until 1994 â and their daughter, Alexa, 40, Joel, 76, also has his wife Alexis Roderick, 43, and their daughters, Della Rose, 10, and Remy, 8, by his side.
Last month, Alexa honored her dad during Carnegie Hallâs âThe Music of Billy Joelâ tribute event.
She sang âThis Nightâ at the concert â which couldnât have been sweeter, according to Brinkley.
âShe was so excited to be able to perform for him,â the cover star gushed to Hello!. âI was sorry that I had to miss that night.â
âI was out of town,â Brinkley added, âbut otherwise it was so wonderful.â
Just hours before Joel was honored, Alexa gave her own updated on the âUptown Girlâ singer.
âHeâs doing physical therapy regularly and heâs doing great,â she told the Hollywood Reporter at the time. âHeâs lost weight as heâs on his diet.â
Alexa continued, âIâm so proud of him. Heâs such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. Heâs a fighter. Heâs always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how lifeâs like a fight.â
Joel first revealed his shocking NPH diagnosis in May 2025, forcing him to to cancel a series of tour performances.
His condition became worse due to his concert performances at the time, âleading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,â his lengthy Instagram announcement read.
The doctor ordered the Grammy winner to ârefrain from performing during this recovery period.â
He then released a statement in July 2025 reassuring fans he was doing fine and staying positive.
âIt was scary, but Iâm okay,â Joel admitted to People at the time. âI just wanted to let people know, donât worry about me being deathly ill or anything.â
âIâm doing my best to work with it and to recover from it,â he added.
More recently, the âMovinâ Outâ crooner surprised fans with his first performance since revealing his NPH brain disorder battle.
Back in January, Joel took the stage â with the help of a cane â during a celebration for the 30th anniversary of Wellington, Florida.
He was joined by his wife and their two daughters, and played his hits âWe Didnât Start the Fireâ and âBig Shot.â
Joel teased: âI wasnât planning on working tonight!â
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