Christie and Alexa “after” – before photos are below and on Star’s website

Christie and Alexa “before” – in 2008

Star Magazine has before and after photos of former supermodel Christie Brinkley and her daughter Alex Ray Joel, 24, that show that both of them had plastic surgery recently. Alexa seems to have had a nose job, according to the photo evidence and an expert quoted by Star. Christie, 56, has opted for some kind of face lift. I think both Christie and Alexa looked better before, although it’s kind of a toss up with Alexa as she’s still gorgeous with an obviously tapered nose. Christie is looking too tightly pulled and she’s starting to get that chipmunk cheek artificial look that’s a dead giveaway for too much work. She should have left well enough alone and is going to have to watch it. Here’s Star’s teaser report on this story. They also have a better before and after picture than the one we cobbled together.

Some mothers and daughters bond over shopping. For Christie Brinkley and Alexa Ray Joel, it’s plastic surgery! In the May 10 issue of Star, we exclusively reveal that the supermodel and her singer daughter, whose dad is Billy Joel, both went under the knife earlier this month — one day apart — at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital.

What was on the makeover menu? A mini face-lift for Christie and a nose job for Alexa, which — according to NYC-based plastic surgeon Dr. Norman M. Rowe — set them back about $60,000!

It was money well spent, a source tells Star. “Both Alexa and Christie are so happy.”

And just weeks after their respective surgeries, Christie and Alexa showed off their new looks when they attended the premiere of Last Play at Shea — to support Billy — at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on Sunday.

Pick up the new Star today for the full story about Christie and Alexa Ray’s mother/daughter plastic surgeries. Plus: Read our six-page spread — Nips, Tucks & Lies — about plastic surgery in Hollywood with before and after pix of celebs like Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Blake Lively.

[From Star Magazine's website]

I personally don’t think it’s so strange that a mom and daughter had plastic surgery just a day apart. My mom had a face lift and I could see getting some work done with her. (I haven’t had anything done yet, but am not ruling it out and will probably try Botox soon.) I know that will sound insane to many of you, and it’s probably just a sign of the times. On one hand I’m wary of looking freaky like this but on the other side I have to admit I’m considering a face lift when the time comes.

People are getting plastic surgery with mixed results. You really have to opt for minor procedures and make sure you don’t go overboard, because it’s easy to ruin your looks and end up much worse than you were before. Even with just one or two seemingly small surgeries some people end up unrecognizable. Just look at Jennifer Grey.

Does anyone like Christie’s new look better than her old one? There’s something not-quite-human about her new look and she’s starting to resemble a plastic doll. Maybe it will settle for her.

Update: Alexa admits to People that she had her nose done, and says that she’s wanted it done for a long time. I like how candid she is and how she sounds confident about it.

Alexa Ray tells PEOPLE she’s feeling much better–inside and out. The 24-year-old singer underwent rhinoplasty earlier this month, and says she’s overjoyed by the results. “I was thinking about getting this for years,” says Joel. Her nose, she adds, “always bothered me a little bit. I was self-conscious of pictures taken from the side. To some people that’s vain, but at the end of the day, we all want to feel pretty.” But the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley says she’s done with plastic surgery. Says Joel, “Would I do anything else to my body? No. It’s not ten procedures like Heidi Montag. For me, that’s a little extreme, but to each her own.” As for the timing of the surgery–just four months after her overdose scare following a breakup–Joel says this was the right time for her. “Would it have been smart to get this procedure last year?” she asks. “No. I didn’t know who I was.” And now? “I feel really good.”

[From People]

Alexa Before:

Alexa After:

Christie Before:

Christie After:

I actually really like Alexa Ray Joel, from what little I’ve know about her. She’s 24 years old, a would be singer-song writer, and the daughter of Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel. Last December, Alexa attempted suicide after splitting with her boyfriend, plus going through a lot of sh-t with her parents and their respective divorces. Her attempt and hospitalization became a wakeup call for her and her parents, and she seems to be doing much, much better these days. So well, in fact, that Alexa signed on to be the new face (or hair) of Prell shampoo, just like her mom (who represented the brand 25 years ago). Alexa said in a public statement: “I am so excited and honored to be named the new face of Prell — especially following in the footsteps of my mother, who was a Prell girl!”

Okay, I’ve said enough nice things about her, right? She does seem like a nice girl, and I do think she’s very, very pretty – she got an interesting mix of her father and mother with her looks, Billy’s coloring with her mom’s cheekbones and smile. It’s nice. And she does have great hair. Now, I watched this commercial and for the first 25 seconds I was like “Oh, what a lovely young woman, I hope she’s doing well.” And then the last five seconds happened, and now… oh God… just watch it:

Her singing voice, right? It sounds… not good. Like an out-of-tune falsetto. Singing: UR DOIN IT WRONG. Well, at least we know why she was always described as a “struggling singer”. As in, she struggles to sing in tune. Aw, now I feel bad. I do like her. But she should stick to modeling. Maybe acting too? Just don’t sing, please, Alexa.

The first week in December, Alexa Ray Joel was hospitalized after she sort-of attempted suicide by taking an overdose of homeopathic pills. I say “sort-of” because I, and many others, think it was more a cry for help than a genuine suicide attempt, and Alexa Ray seemed physically fine after a brief hospitalization. After she got out of the hospital, her parents Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley stepped up in a big way to take care of their 24-year-old daughter. There were tabloid reports that she has been staying with either of them throughout the past month, and her parents are just trying to focus on making sure she’s getting healthy, emotionally and physically.

On New Year’s Eve Alexa sent out a message on her Facebook page thanking her friends, fans and family alike for their support throughout the past month. This is Alexa’s first public statement since the suicide attempt, and it kind of breaks my heart:

In the new year, Alexa Ray Joel plans to speak up about the “heartbreak-related depression” that contributed to her scary Dec. 5 incident — in which she was rushed to Manhattan’s St. Vincent’s Hospital after swallowing a handful of homeopathic pills. (The pills weren’t capable of killing her, but a panicked Joel called 911 to get checked out by doctors.)

The recovering 24 year-old musician posted a note on Facebook on New Year’s Eve to gratefully acknowledge her friends, fans and supporters. “I just wanted to thank you all for the incredible outpouring of love and support,” wrote Joel, the daughter of music legend Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley. “It’s certainly been a whirlwind of a month, but reading all of your encouraging posts has never failed to cheer me up!”

Noting “many new exciting developments” for 2010, Joel mentions “creative projects” plus volunteer work, including a new pet cause. The rock progeny says she wants “to help young girls with something I feel I know a GREAT deal about: Heartbreak-Related Depression. Although it does not get much attention in our society, it is a very serious and painful condition that often gets ‘swept under the carpet.’ I hope to bring this topic more to light”

At the time of her early December incident, Joel had been dealing with the end of a long-term relationship with former bandmate Jimmy Riot. Joel, a graduate of NYU, says she is extending her education to further examine her depression. “I’m even going back to school for Psychology in hopes to learn more about this and many other afflictions that many of us have had to face,” she says. “After all, there’s nothing more fascinating than the human mind and it’s respective conditions.”

In the Facebook note, the young woman also thanks her mother for a recent birthday celebration (she turned 24 on Dec. 29): ” Just want to send a quick shout-out to my beautiful Mother and all of her friends for the lovely “Birthday Tribute”… I was very moved by that, so thank you!!!!”

[From Us Weekly]

I feel for this girl, I really do. I think she just got overwhelmed with everything that was happening to her and around her, what with her split with her boyfriend, her parents’ public divorces, her own struggling music career, I can easily see and commiserate with how overwhelmed she felt. I’ve been there myself – not to the point of overdosing, but I went through a year when I had a bad breakup, an emotional breakdown and a series of devastating panic attacks that left me reassessing my life. I hope Alexa continues to get stronger and healthier, and I hope we see more of her this year!

Alexa Ray in New York on June 18, 2009 (credit: Fame) and August 15, 2009, credit: Belpanno/Fame.

Just because two parents are divorced doesn’t mean they can’t work together for the sake of their children. Billy Joel and ex-wife Christie Brinkley have done just that, by issuing a joint statement this morning on behalf of their troubled 23-year-old daughter, Alexa Ray, who was hospitalized after a suicide attempt earlier this week. Both Joel and Brinkley expressed anger at some of the tabloids for their factual inaccuracies in the days after their daughter’s hospitalization, especially the NY Post.

Alexa Ray Joel’s long-divorced mom and dad, Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel, are teaming up for a heavy-duty round of defense.

Shortly after the 23-year-old musician was rushed to the hospital for an apparent suicide attempt, the New York Post ran a story about a recent family vacation gone awry. Needless to say, that family was less than thrilled.

“Every parent can imagine the pain and anguish we face as parents of a daughter who is working to recover from the dangerous actions she took while suffering a devastating heartbreak,” Billy, 60, and Christie, 55, said in a joint statement issued this morning. “As much as we hate dignifying tabloid stories with a response, we feel we must set the record straight to protect our family.”

Then they rip into the newspaper.

“The story that ran in the New York Post on December 8th, and has been subsequently spread across the Internet, is filled with vicious lies and attempts to smear our character and that of our beloved daughter. We ask the public and legitimate media outlets to please ‘consider the source’ and to not further exacerbate our daughter’s situation by repeating and legitimizing these false reports.”

They even sign the statement together: “With much appreciation, Billy Joel & Christie Brinkley.”

Billy and Alexa’s rep, Claire Mercuri, tells E! News the family is not seeking legal action against the New York newspaper.

It would be nice if folks would just leave Alexa alone for a little while and let her get herself together. It would be even better if the tabloids would get the facts right before rushing off to the presses. I always take the NY Post’s reports with a huge grain of salt- they usually end up being a bunch of bull, loosely held together by a couple nuggets of truth. Whatever is going on, it looks like Alexa’s parents have circled the wagons and are trying to protect her. I hope she is getting the help she needs and is able to recover in private.

This is a really sad story if the reports are even half-way true. It seems that on Saturday, the 23 year old daughter of Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel, Alexa Ray Joel, was rushed to the hospital. First reports indicated that it was a possible drug overdose, and that Alexa’s roommate was the one to call the ambulance. The New York Post (and other sources) claimed Alexa took a “large number” of over-the-counter sleeping pills in a possible suicide attempt. While she was was being hospitalized overnight (on Saturday), Alexa’s publicist said that Alexa was in stable condition and she was receiving treatment, and “We are currently assessing her needs.”

An insider claims that Billy Joel was “freaking out” and that Billy believes that Alexa was under an enormous amount of stress with his divorce from Katie Lee and Christie’s divorce from Peter Cook. The insider said: “Alexa Ray has had a horrible few years. She’s been put in the middle of her mother and stepfather’s nasty divorce, and her father’s split as well. She’s only 23. It’s really hard on someone at that age. She’s always been torn and made to choose sides. It’s very sad. Regardless of what Christie [Brinkley] says, she was close with Peter Cook, and her dad’s divorce just devastated her. She and Katie Lee were really close friends. She’s had a lot to deal with for someone so young.”

Another working theory, from sources speaking to People Magazine, is Alexa that “was apparently distraught over an argument with her boyfriend.” Local New York outlets have Alexa and her boyfriend breaking up, not just an argument. People’s source also claims that Alexa didn’t take sleeping pills, but rather Traumeel, a “homeopathic medication.” Some sources also have Alexa (rather than her roommate) placing the 911 call, this time because Alexa “became worried about breathing.” Alexa has also vented about men and dating on her MySpace page, but that piece of information doesn’t sound all that shocking.

Also, there’s a lot being made of Alexa’s music career and how it might be a factor in what might be a suicide attempt (I’m sticking with “I don’t know for sure what this was”). Alexa told People Magazine last year: “I can get very dark. I can get very in my own head and depressed as many other artists can.” Alexa released an EP in 2006 and she debuted a new song, “Invisible” this year. She was scheduled to perform this week in New York - one of the gigs was even the New York Stock Exchange tree lighting.

Alexa was released Sunday afternoon, but the report doesn’t indicate whether she left in the care of her mother or a friend or anything. They do note that Billy Joel stayed in Long Island during the hospital stay, but that he was communicating with Christie throughout. I hope Alexa goes and stays with her mom or dad, rather than returning to her apartment. Whatever happened, I think this girl just needs a serious break from the world, and just to spend some time laying low and recuperating.

Alexa Ray Joel pictured in New York on June 18, 2009. Credit: Fame

When Billy Joel, 60, and his super-talkative child bride were on Oprah last year, I could tell that Katie, 27, didn’t get along with Joel’s 23 year-old daughter, Alexa Ray. Oprah asked Katie about her relationship with Alexa and she didn’t really answer the question, demurring graciously to say “Alexa is really a special person to me. She was my maid of honor in my wedding actually, and I’m always impressed by her. She has so much talent and grace. She’s just really special.”

Now that Billy and Katie have announced their impending divorce after five years of marriage, Alexa says she knew it was coming. In her statement she doesn’t sound all that broken up over it:

Billy Joel’s split from wife Katie came as no surprise to Alexa Ray Joel, the music man’s 23-year-old daughter with Christie Brinkley.

“I have a pretty good woman’s intuition, so I could tell,” Alexa told PEOPLE at the sixth annual Wayuu Taya Foundation Gala at the Stephan Weiss Studio in New York City Wednesday night. “I know my dad very well.”

The couple announced their separation in a statement June 17 after nearly five years of marriage. Joel says she first heard the news from her dad.

“He was the first person to talk to me,” says Alexa. “Of course, being who he is, you can’t just trust everybody. I like knowing that my father can come to me.”

Despite her parents’ troubled marriage record, Alexa says has hardly sworn off the idea of one day getting hitched herself – although she dispels rumors of a romance with John Mayer. “I would love to get married. Having seen what I’ve seen, sure I have a different perspective on marriage, but I’m a true romantic, and I will be having a wedding at one point.”

Meanwhile, Joel says she stands behind her dad: “He’s a strong man. He’ll get through this, and I’m going to help him.”

[From People]

Can you imagine if one of your parents remarried someone who was just a few years older than you? That’s got to be an awkward situation. In Katie and Billy Joel’s Oprah interview, Katie definitely seemed to have the dominant personality and did most of the talking. She claimed their relationship worked despite the over 30 year age difference because “He has this job that’s allowed him to be really immature for a long time – rock star, and I happen to be more mature for my age so we meet somewhere in the middle.” It’s not surprising that it didn’t last. I only wonder if we’ll hear more about their troubled marriage when their divorce proceeds. We sure heard plenty of explosive details when Billy’s ex, Christie Brinkley, divorced her last husband.

Alexa Ray Joel is shown on 6/17/09. Katie Lee Joel and Billy Joel are shown in 2007. Credit: WENN.com

There are several really gross parts to this story, so I’ll start slowly. First, there’s Alexa Ray Joel, the 23-year-old daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley. I think Alexa’s pretty, in that pale, bug-eyed, Anne Hathaway kind of way. So, Christie Brinkley is Alexa Ray’s mother, and as such, Christie is interested in setting up her single daughter with someone nice. Now, let’s stop right there – Christie Brinkley rather infamously went through her fourth divorce, to Peter Cook, last year after he was caught having an affair with his very young assistant. I’m not saying the affair was Christie’s fault, I’m just saying that she’s been married and divorced four times, so maybe she doesn’t have the best taste in men. But that’s not stopping Christie from playing matchmaker… and how. She wants to set Alexa up on a date with… John Mayer.

Rocker John Mayer has the approval of former supermodel Christie Brinkley if he ever wants to date her daughter Alexa Ray.

Newly-single Brinkley admits she’s quite fond of the singer/songwriter herself but insists her “cougar days” are over when it comes to dating toy-boys.

However she says, “He’s perfect dating material for my daughter… You guys could make beautiful music together.”

Singer/songwriter Alexa, 23, is Brinkley’s daughter by rocker Billy Joel.

[From Starpulse via GossipRocks]

Jeez, Mom. Aim higher, right? I would be totally offended if my mom wanted me to date John Mayer. Alexa Ray is by no means so unfortunate that she has go for John “Bottom of the Barrel” Mayer. This just speaks volumes about Christie – her taste in men isn’t just bad, it’s epically horrible.

This story just make me thankful my mom knows my taste in men, and she’s rooting for me to meet Gerard Butler, even though Gerry doesn’t really float her boat. Even though it’s a little gross, I don’t think my mom would even mind George Clooney as a son-in-law, although he’s closer to her age than mine. But I think my mom’s heart was broken when Matt Damon ran off and married Luciana, and didn’t even call my mom to see if I was available. Matt was the one who got away, for my mom at least.

Alexa Ray and Christie Brinkley are shown on 5/23/09. Credit: WENN.com