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 toldĀ Hello!Ā Magazine on Tuesday, āHeās doing very well.ā
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 ā who was married to the musician from 1985 until 1994 ā and their daughter, Alexa, 40, Joel, 76, also has his wife Alexis Roderick, 43, and their daughters, Della Rose, 10, andĀ Remy, 8, by his side.
Last month, Alexa honored her dadĀ during Carnegie Hallās āThe Music of Billy Joelā tribute event.
She sang āThis Nightā at the concert ā which couldnāt have been sweeter, according to Brinkley.
āShe was so excited to be able to perform for him,ā the cover star gushed to Hello!. āI was sorry that I had to miss that night.ā
āI was out of town,ā Brinkley added,Ā ābut otherwise it was so wonderful.ā
Just hours before Joel was honored, Alexa gave her own updated on the āUptown Girlā singer.
āHeās doing physical therapy regularly and heās doing great,ā sheĀ told the Hollywood ReporterĀ at the time. āHeās lost weight as heās on his diet.ā
Alexa continued, āIām so proud of him. Heās such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. Heās a fighter. Heās always been a fighter andĀ talksĀ in his documentaryĀ about how lifeās like a fight.ā
Joel firstĀ revealed his shocking NPH diagnosisĀ 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, āleading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,ā hisĀ lengthy Instagram announcementĀ read.
The doctor ordered the Grammy winner to ārefrain from performing during this recovery period.ā
He then released a statement in July 2025 reassuring fans he was doing fine and staying positive.
āIt was scary, but Iām okay,ā Joel admitted to People at the time. āI just wanted to let people know, donāt worry about me being deathly ill or anything.ā
āIām doing my best to work with it and to recover from it,ā he added.
More recently, the āMovinā Outā croonerĀ surprised fans with his first performanceĀ since revealing hisĀ NPH brain disorder battle.
Back in January, Joel took the stage ā with the help of a cane ā during a celebration for the 30th anniversary of Wellington, Florida.
He was joined by his wife and their two daughters, and played his hits āWe Didnāt Start the Fireā and āBig Shot.ā
Joel teased: āI wasnāt planning on working tonight!ā
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