Billy Joel: 'Devastating Heartbreak' Led to Alexa Ray's Pill Scare

By PopEater Staff Posted Dec 10th 2009 10:58AM

Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel

Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley say their daughter Alexa Ray's recent scare of taking too many homeopathic pills was the result of a "devastating heartbreak." In a newly issued statement, the parents slam a NY Post report that ran earlier in the week that claimed her actions on Dec. 5 were a "cry for help" and were partly due to the perceived slow progress she's making in crafting a music career of her own.

Joel and Brinkley say the article "is filled with vicious lies and attempts to smear our character and that of our beloved daughter" and ask all news outlets to "not further exacerbate our daughter's situation by repeating and legitimizing these false reports."

Her ex-boyfriend, bassist Jimmy Riot, has so far declined to comment on the breakup that led to Alexa's taking of eight tablets of Traumeel, the herbal equivalent of Ibuprofen.

Joel herself made the 911 call, telling the dispatcher that she was having trouble breathing after taking too many pills.

She was then taken to St. Vincent's hospital in Manhattan. She is now back home recovering and "going to be fine," her dad told Newsday.

The Full Statement From Billy and Christie (via PEOPLE):

Every parent can imagine the pain and anguish we face as parents of a daughter who is working to recover from the dangerous actions she took while suffering a devastating heartbreak. As much as we hate dignifying tabloid stories with a response, we feel we must set the record straight to protect our family. The story that ran in the New York Post on December 8th, and has been subsequently spread across the Internet, is filled with vicious lies and attempts to smear our character and that of our beloved daughter. We ask the public and legitimate media outlets to please "consider the source" and to not further exacerbate our daughter's situation by repeating and legitimizing these false reports.

With much appreciation,
Billy Joel & Christie Brinkley

Tags: Alexa Ray Joel, AlexaRayJoel, billy joel, BillyJoel, christie brinkley, ChristieBrinkley

Comments

(37)

Thursday 10 December

By Susan

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I wish this young women a long life of happiness. Hope she gets past this and moves in a positive direction.. Screw the vicious media who will say and do ANYTHING for a story.

By Hugh Jassol

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Susan, while I agree that the media can be vicious, the NY Post may have been partially correct. Any psychiatrist would tell you that since she made the 911 call herself, it's a classic "cry for help" situation. If I were Billy Joel, I would have been more devastated that my daughter was dating someone with an idiotic name like Billy Riot!

Make that Jimmy Riot. Just as bad. No ones last name is really "Riot".

By looch

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If I had a nasty mom like she has, I would have taken too many pills too.

By jean

Thank you BIlly and Christie for fighting back. Half of everything you read is simply to sell magazines and has nothing to do with the truth.

By Danni

She tried to OD with homeopathic pills?? Weird...

I would think if it was such "a cry for help" she would have taken an actual prescription medication to do the deed.

This whole story is just strange, kind of like her parents.

By sifujon

Not so strange when you consider it got her a lot more publicity than her music ever got. You don't need to be a psychiatrist to see that it was not a serious attempt.

By Nowlin Tubbs

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Wow, 10 across the counter pills caused all this trouble

By abarnette

Ah, you're about as informed as the magazines. Billy's name from birth is William Martin Joel.

By Crafty Jan

If it was a cry for help then she would have taken something stronger. This was clearly an act of self-pity. She could have called a friend or family, she instead called 911 (for the attention). Get over it & grow up! Stop letting mommy & daddy speak for you....still.

You hit the nail directly on the head.

By Jewell

If her mother was closer to her she would of sensed something and know what was going on. This girl was crying out for help it is just that simple, a blind man can see it.

By JoelFan

WRONG! His real name is William Martin Joel, born May 9, 1949. Look it up.

By New Yawk, New Yawk

Crafty Jan...YOU should GROW UP...Great people talk about IDEAS.....Average people talk about THINGS.....SMALL people talk about OTHER PEOPLE....Guess we all know where YOU fit in...NEXT!!

By Tramps like US

This is to Crafty Jan:::::If brains were dynamite, you couldn't blow your own nose. Go read the Post, be way over your head to do the Jumble in the Post, coz YOU'D get stuck on those tough 4 letter words........KNOW IT ALL JAN...CLEARLY

Clearly you are not educated enough for your remarks. I teach seminars at the local college about teen suicide. People like you ignore the truth & contribute to the problem.

By Another Joel Fan

Hattie, when you sit there and keep quiet, one might think you are stupid, its when YOU open YOUR mouth you convince them you are...Some German name huh??? YOU may be right, I may be crazy...

By usermn3156

Not to be unkind, but time to grow up alexa. Life's not easy. Everytime a problem hits you head on, you don't try and kill yourself.

By GLENN

Unfortunately heartbeak and other dissapointments are a part of life......"this to will pass"
Wishing all of you the best for the future ! ! !
YOU HAVE TO HAVE HOPE ! ! ! ! !

By cange

You vultures need to leave the Joel girl alone and go back to destroying Tiger Woods!

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