Billy Joel condemns his unauthorized biopic 'Billy and Me'

Billy Joel has stood against an unauthorised planned biopic about him after the news came out.

On Tuesday, May 19, Variety reported that screenwriter Adam Ripp and director John Ottman are currently working on Joel’s biopic, Billy and Me, and they will start filming it in the fall of 2026.

Notably, this comes after Ripp collaborated with Michael Jai White's Jaigantic Studios to make the biopic with the title Piano Man in 2022, but the project could not start.

Following the news that Ripp and Ottman are working together for the project, a representative of the 77-year-old American singer-songwriter and pianist issued a statement to PEOPLE magazine, slamming the project.

The spokesperson said, “Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel's life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project.”

Joel “has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided," the statement clarified.

It is pertinent to mention that Billy Joel allowed directors Jessica Levin and Susan Lacy to document his life in a two-part documentary titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which was released in July 2025 on HBO.