Billy Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, is speaking out amid her husband’s recent brain disorder diagnosis.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support,” Alexis, 43, wrote via her husband’s official Instagram account on Monday, May 26. “We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is father and husband who is at the center of our world.”
The “Piano Man” singer, 76, announced via Instagram on Friday, May 23, that he was cancelling “all scheduled concerts” after he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
NPH is a “brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, which are fluid-filled chambers,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. “As brain ventricles enlarge with the excess CSF, they can disrupt and damage nearby brain tissue, leading to difficulty walking, problems with thinking and reasoning, and loss of bladder control.”
Billy’s team explained via Instagram that NPH has caused “problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” which impacted other recent live performances. His doctors have now recommended that Billy stop performing while he undergoes “specific physical therapy.” (Joel last performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut in February.)
In the same Monday statement, Alexis, who married the iconic singer in 2015 after six years of dating, wrote that the family is “hopeful” for Billy’s eventual recovery and overall health outcome. (The pair share two children, daughters Della Rose and Remy Anne.)
“We are hopeful for his recovery,” she wrote. “We look forward to seeing you all in the future.”
In the wake of his diagnosis, many famous friends and close family members, including his ex-wife Christie Brinkley and their daughter Alexa Ray, have offered their love and support to the famed performer.
“Dear Billy, The whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” Brinkley, 71, wrote in an Instagram post shared on Saturday, May 24. “I was looking for some cute photos of you and Alexa to send you, when I came across this clip from a recent concert. It made me laugh… but it also reminded me of all the joy you create, and all the sensational sing a longs you’ve lead… you turn an arena of strangers into a living room full of friends as we all sway in unison.”
She continued, “I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone in that room when I say please take good care of yourself, we all want you back in that white hot spotlight, you’re OUR piano man. And we’re always in the mood for your melodies And we all hope you’re feeling alright!”
