Legendary singer Billy Joel has finally set the record straight, savagely shutting down rumors that he has had several DUIs (Driving Under the Influence) after being involved in multiple car crashes.
The iconic singer-songwriter addressed the persistent tabloid stories in his recently released HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes.
So, what’s the truth about his alleged multiple offenses?
Has Billy Joel had a DUI?
Joel admitted he’s not fond of tabloids, though he acknowledged that rumors come along with fame.
“I didn’t like the tabloid kinds of press,” he said (via People).
He then cited his alleged DUIs as an example, insisting that the claims aren’t true.
“That never happened, but people keep repeating the myth: ‘Oh, he’s got so many DUIs,’” he said. “I never had a DUI, so f–k you.”
It’s well known that the renowned pianist was involved in several car crashes, including a June 2002 incident where he needed to be airlifted to a hospital.
He then got into a couple more accidents in January 2003 and April 2004. This isn’t the first time Joel has tried to clear his name of the DUI rumors.
In an interview with the New York Times Magazine in 2013, the 76-year-old revealed that the collisions were due to a “mental fog,” not being under the influence of alcohol.
“I never had a DUI in my life. That’s another fallacy. Look at the police records,” he clarified. “My mind wasn’t right. I wasn’t focused.”
He then admitted that he “went into a deep, deep depression” following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.
“9/11 just knocked the wind out of me, and I don’t know even now if I’ve recovered from it,” he continued. “It really, really hurt that man could do that to man. And then there was a breakup with somebody, and it took me a while to get me back on my feet again.”
How Is Billy Joel Today?
In May, Joel surprised everyone when he announced he had been diagnosed with a brain disorder, resulting in the need to canceling all his upcoming concerts.
The hitmaker has normal pressure hydrocephalus, which, according to Cleveland Clinic, condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside of the skull and presses on the brain. Fortunately, the condition is often treatable and sometimes reversible.
Talking about his health a couple of months after the announcement, Joel told Bill Maher in the latter’s Club Random with Bill Maher podcast that while his illness isn’t fixed yet, “it’s being worked on.”
“I feel fine,” he said. “My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat.”
He then went on to explain that his case used to be called “water on the brain,” and nobody knew what really caused it.
Despite that, the famed Piano Man revealed he feels good.
“They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I'm feeling,” he continued.
So hopefully, Joel will continuously recuperate—and there’ll be no car crash incidents again.
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