Throughout the 2010s, several high-profile celebrity divorces garnered a truly mind-blowing amount of attention from the media and fans alike. Unfortunately, that is nothing new as several celebrity couples from the past were given the same treatment.When Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley went their separate ways after many years of marriage, some of the couple's fans were taken by surprise. After all, Joel and Brinkley stayed married for close to a decade before they got divorced.Even though Billy and Christie's marriage ended in divorce, it seems all but certain that they don't regret their time together. After all, if the power couple had never gotten together then they wouldn't have their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel.From the outside looking in, it seems like it must be amazing to be the daughter of a music legend who still makes a fortune and a legendary model. As it turns out, however, Alexa Ray Joel has revealed that being the daughter of a supermodel can be very difficult.
The Truth About Billy Joel And Christie Brinkley's Marriage
During the '80s, Billy Joel was one of the most universally respected and successful musicians in the world. Despite that, when Billy was on vacation in St. Barts in 1983 and spotted Christie Brinkley, he was just a guy vying for her attention.
In an attempt to catch Christie's eye, Billy says he initially tried to strike poses like one of his album covers when she was around. When that failed, Billy tapped into his greatest talent when he started playing the piano which caught Christie's attention.
After meeting in 1983, Billy and Christie went on to date, and then they tied the knot in 1985. Later that same year, Billy and Christie welcomed their daughter Alexa Ray Joel into the world.
During Christie and Billy's marriage, many people were very interested in the power couple. Part of the reason for that is that anytime people underestimated Christie, Billy would passionately defend his wife.
Unfortunately for Christie and Billy, in 1994 their marriage ended in divorce. At the time, Christie said something that seemed telling about her relationship with Billy.
"Just because people can express themselves through their art doesn't mean they are great communicators in person."
As it turned out, it didn't take Billy or Christie long to move on since he got remarried in 1995 and she walked down the aisle again in 1996.
Christie Brinkley's Relationship With Daughter Alexa Ray Joel
In 1979, 1980, and 1981, Christie Brinkley appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue an unprecedented three times in a row. Thanks to that incredible achievement, Brinkley became a supermodel with millions of fans who want to know the most interesting facts about her.
On top of being a celebrated model in years past, it is well-documented that Christie continues to be in great shape to this day. As a result, in 2017 Sports Illustrated invited Brinkley to appear in the Swimsuit Issue for the first time in many years.
When Christie posed for the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she was joined by her two daughters including Alexa Ray Joel. Obviously a gorgeous woman in her own right, Alexa looked fantastic in the photos she posed for with her mom.
No matter how attractive strangers may think a person is, that doesn't inherently mean they will be confident. Unfortunately for Alexa, even though most people would say she is beautiful, she hasn't always been confident.
When Alexa spoke to 20/20 in the past, she revealed that she didn't feel beautiful until she was in her 20s. Worse yet, Alexa felt really insecure about being the daughter of a woman whose beauty has been celebrated for years.
"I was so insecure about [being the daughter of a supermodel] when I was a teenager. I was like, 'I'm just the weird brunette girl, don't look at me, you'll look at Mom anyways.' I was a really late bloomer. And so I didn't feel pretty or anything until, maybe like 20."
Considering that Christie became a supermodel, fans may assume that she wouldn't be able to relate to her daughter Alexa feeling insecure about her looks in the past.
When Brinkley was interviewed by Sports Illustrated in 2017, however, she revealed she definitely could relate to Alexa.
"This is a real full circle moment for me. I can get very emotional about this. How many years ago, I was that insecure girl? And hoping that I would be good enough for the magazine?"
"So, to see my daughters having the same thoughts that I had and be able to see them be there on the job is definitely a big moment."
