After an initial meeting in St. Barth’s in 1983, it wasn’t long before Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley started dating. That same year, she starred as the titular character in the music video for “Uptown Girl.” However, in addition to just playing a role, their relationship embodied that of the song. In a recent video, the couple’s daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, revealed that the singer called Brinkley “the uptown girl” while he was the “downtown guy.” Two years after the premiere of that video, the singer and the actress said “I do” on a 147-foot yacht in New York Harbor. In front of approximately 150 loved ones, including Paul Simon and Isabella Rossellini, the two exchanged vows. Brinkley donned a high-neck Norma Kamali gown for the occasion and carried a bouquet of long-stemmed roses. Yet there was also something else that the model wore for the occasion: her engagement ring.
Brinkley frequently wore her square engagement ring while she was married to Joel. While little is known about the specific cut of the multi-carat diamond, its square shape points to it being a princess- or asscher-cut. The piece also included two smaller diamonds on either side of the featured stone. After tying the knot with the “Piano Man” singer, the supermodel also wore a wedding band below her sparkler. On a few photographed occasions, the actress opted to just wear her wedding band.
At the end of 1985, Joel and Brinkley announced the birth of their daughter Alexa. However, just a few years later, in 1994, the couple detailed their plans to divorce. The end of their relationship was reportedly due to Joel’s drinking habits, which the supermodel detailed in her memoir, which is scheduled to be released April 29, 2025. “To be clear, I never wanted to end things with Billy,” she wrote in an exclusive except released by People. “But his drinking was bigger than the both of us. In the end, when the relationship isn’t functioning the way you want it to be anymore — that’s the worst kind of loneliness because you just can’t make it work together and that’s painful.” Years ago, Brinkley had alluded to this dysfunction when speaking about their split: “Just because people can express themselves through their art doesn’t mean they are great communicators in person,” she said in 1994, according to Entertainment Weekly. Yet even though the duo ultimately split, they continue to remain friends. In April 2024, the singer even serenaded his former wife with “Uptown Girl” at his concert at Madison Square Garden.
Where Is Christie Brinkley’s Engagement Ring From Billy Joel?
While the whereabouts of the supermodel’s ring aren’t known, there are two likely scenarios. Due to the close relationship that continues today between Brinkley and Joel, the supermodel may have kept the ring as a reminder of their marriage. In a recent interview with People, she labeled the two’s relationship as “great.” “He lives mainly in Florida, so we don’t see him as much as when he lived in Sag Harbor, but when he comes by to see Alexa, he’ll come in and say hello,” she told the outlet. The other likely option is that the supermodel gave the piece to Alexa, the couple’s only daughter together. While Alexa, who got engaged in 2018, already has a unique emerald-cut diamond on her left ring finger, it’s possible that the supermodel wanted her daughter to have the sparkler as an heirloom piece.