Billy Joel's Once-'Maligned' First Wife Breaks Her Silence on Their Marriage 43 Years After Their Divorce (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Billy Joel's first wife breaks her silence on their marriage 43 years after their divorce

• Having Elizabeth Weber, who was once-"maligned," participate in the two-part documentary was "crucial" for executive producer Steve Cohen

• Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part documentary, premiered at Tribeca Festival on Wednesday, June 4

Billy Joel's first wife is breaking her silence 43 years after their divorce.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE at the Tribeca Festival premiere of Billy Joel: And So It Goes at the Beacon Theatre on Wednesday, June 4, Elizabeth Weber — who was married to the rock icon for nine years until 1982 — opens up about how "great" it was for her to revisit that period of her life.

"It was great then, it's great whenever I think about it, and it's great now," says Weber, 76.

The two-part documentary, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, was the first time she had spoken publicly about their years together.

Weber credits her granddaughters for getting her involved with the project.

"I love Steve and I worked with him, and he's a close friend of mine...but I thought, 'Wait a second. I have a really nice life. I have a lot of privacy,'" she recalls, noting she wished she could say that it was because of Cohen that she "immediately" agreed to do the project.

However, that wasn't what happened.

"Susan approached me in a very personal way, and it resonated with me, and Billy licensed the music, so I knew that there would be good music," Weber recalls. "So it felt right — and it still does."

Steve Cohen, the documentary's executive producer, tells PEOPLE it was "crucial" that Weber was involved in the project.

"Elizabeth and I have a friendship that has lasted since we first met," he says. "She was there at the very beginning when I got hired, and...I will tell you, there was reluctance in the beginning because she's been out of the public eye and she's been maligned incredibly in the blogosphere."

Cohen, however, knew the story wouldn't be "complete" without her. He worked hard to bring Weber together with Lacy and Levin.

"They were naturally suited for each other," he says.

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Joel, 76, did not attend the premiere of his documentary after canceling all of his tour dates and revealing his rare brain condition diagnosis.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes details the "Vienna" singer's journey from his humble Long Island roots to international superstardom through exclusive footage with candid interviews.

While Joel wasn't at the Beacon Theatre, stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Mariska Hargitay and her husband, actor Peter Hermann, attended the premiere.

Weber was married to Joel from 1973 until 1982 when they divorced. She also was his business manager. They have no children.

Joel, who has tied the knot four times, has been married to Alexis Rodrick since 2015.

Read the original article on People