Billy Joel Opens Up About Past Mental Health Struggles and Personal Betrayal in New Documentary

In the new HBO documentary *And So It Goes*, legendary musician Billy Joel discusses a dark period in his life, including two suicide attempts that occurred after an affair with his best friend and bandmate Jon Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber. During the early years of his career, Joel was part of a hard rock band called Attila and lived with Small, Weber, and their young son. Over time, Joel and Weber developed a romantic relationship. When Joel confessed his feelings to Small, it led to the end of their friendship, the band’s breakup, and Joel being evicted from their home. This period of emotional turmoil pushed Joel to attempt suicide twice: first by overdosing on sleeping pills, which left him in a coma, and then by ingesting a bottle of lemon-scented furniture cleaner. Small intervened during the second attempt and took him to the hospital. Joel later checked himself into an observation ward, a decision that marked a turning point in his life. He began to channel his pain into music, which became his path to recovery. Joel and Weber later married in 1973 and divorced in 1982. The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2025.