Billy Joel reveals struggles with suicide attempts and heartbreak in new documentary

Billy Joel, the legendary singer-songwriter and pianist, recently opened up about one of the darkest chapters of his life in his new documentary, ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival.

The intimate film reveals a painful period when Joel faced deep emotional turmoil, including two suicide attempts and a coma, all stemming from a complicated love triangle involving his former bandmate’s wife.

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Back in his early 20s, Joel was part of a band called Attila alongside his close friend Jon Small. During this time, he lived under the same roof as Small, his wife Elizabeth Weber, and their young son. As the documentary explains, a romantic bond slowly formed between Joel and Elizabeth.

“Bill and I spent a lot of time together,” Elizabeth reflects in the film, calling their relationship a “slow build.” Eventually, Joel confessed to Small: “I’m in love with your wife.”

Billy Joel admits feeling overwhelming guilt over the affair. “They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,” he said. “I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved.”

The confrontation shattered both the band and the friendship between Joel and Small.

Years later, Joel and Elizabeth reconnected, eventually marrying from 1973 to 1982. But the emotional fallout from that time left Joel in a fragile mental state.

In the documentary, he shares, “I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic.” He recalled hitting rock bottom and feeling hopeless: “I just thought I’d end it all. I was in a lot of pain, and tomorrow was going to be just like today—and today sucked.”

Joel’s sister, Judy Molinari, who worked as a medical assistant, gave him sleeping pills to help him get some rest during this difficult time. But Joel took all the pills, which landed him in a coma for several days.

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Judy recalls the terrifying moment she visited him in the hospital: “He was laying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.”

Jon Small also weighs in on the situation, sharing that Joel never fully explained his actions but believed it was because Joel cared for him deeply. “He loved me that much and it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually, I forgave him,” Small said.

After the suicide attempts and the coma, Joel checked himself into an observation ward, describing himself as a “lost soul.” But that experience became a turning point.

Upon release, Joel realized he could transform his intense emotions into creative energy. “I thought to myself, you can utilize all those emotions to channel that stuff into music,” he explained.

The documentary offers a candid and raw glimpse into Billy Joel’s struggles before he became the iconic artist known worldwide. ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’ is going to premiere on HBO this July.