Alexa Ray Joel Rushed To St. Vincent’s For Drug Overdose, Possible Suicide Attempt

Billy Joel’s daughter with Christie Brinkley, singer-songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, rushed to St. Vincent’s, is there in stable condition. An AP source cited overdosing on pharmaceuticals, speculating a suicide attempt. A publicist has a stonewall, saying they’re “assessing her needs.”

Via the AP report:

The official tells The Associated Press that it’s unclear whether the 23-year-old daughter of pop star Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley had attempted suicide. The official says a friend of Joel’s frantically called 911 from Joel’s downtown Manhattan apartment around noon on Saturday and said the singer had taken several pills. The official didn’t know how many or what kind of pills were taken. The official wasn’t authorised to publicly disclose the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Obviously, this brings to mind DJ AM’s overdose, and for that matter, Heath Ledger’s overdose on pills last year. Both were spiraling into exhaustion and depression; Joel had two performances scheduled for the next week and most recently, her mum was in the tabloids for a rough divorce (second item) with scuzzy architect Peter Cook, which her Dad, Billy Joel, came to Brinkley’s defence for. The family’s got problems. Alexa’s career’s been going well, not incredible, but pretty decent: the average amount of press for whatever the kid of a celebrity who embarks on a music career would get, and there’s really no indication of the kind of dark shit that would lead to drug abuse or chronic depression in her music, or, for that matter—hold the above issues of her parents—any news about her. Signs, though: they’re elusive, if they exist.

Again, Joel’s publicist noted that she’s in stable condition, and that they’re “assessing her needs.” We can laugh all we want about the kids of celebrities, but really, who knows how easy (or hard) they have it? It’s not a third-world problem, but it’s not one most of us can speak from experience on, either. Here’s hoping she gets better.