The wife of Katie Lee (27) was caught allegedly cheating with Yigal Azrouel (36) in April, so Billy Joel (59) has decided it’s best to divorce her. Joel’s rep released this statement:

"After nearly five years of marriage Billy Joel and Katie Lee Joel have decided to separate. This decision is a result of much thoughtful consideration. Billy and Katie remain caring friends with admiration and respect for each other.”

We’ll see about that if the divorce gets nasty.

Only one day before the announcement some tabloids claimed Joel was purchasing an Italian restaurant for Katie in the Hamptons.

Billy Joel’S Daughter Alexa Ray and ex wife Christie Brinkley voiced their reaction to the divorce news to Extra:

Alexa: “I’m the first person he told.”

Christie: “I’m very sad that this has happened and I wish them both happiness”

Alexa responds when asked if her dad talked to her about everything:

Alexa: "Of course. I’m the first person he told. Absolutely, yeah."

Christie and Alexa react to the news of Billy and Katie Lee’s separation:

Christie: "All I can say is he’s a wonderful father to Alexa. We’ve remained friends. We’ve been friends for many, many years, so obviously I’m very sad that this has happened and I wish them both happiness. Alexa is doing great actually. She’s fine."

Alexa: "If my dad’s happy, I’m happy and I respect any decision that he makes, and I’m 100% behind him. So you know, I’m very protective of my father, so I want him to be happy. She [Christie] and my dad are really good friends. They’ve always been very, very supportive of each other throughout trials and tribulations or any successes. They’ve always been there for each other, so I’m lucky to have such supportive parents."

Katie got what she wanted, and Billy got some momentary happiness. We hope he begins his next relationship with someone closer to his own age.

Katie Lee (27), who is the wife of Billy Joel (59), picture above, is allegedly cheating with fashion designer Yigal Azrouel (36), pictured below, while Joel is on a music tour.

Reports says that Lee attended a USA network party from which she and Azrouel left minutes apart, however, Lee was seen minutes later jumping into a waiting cab that Azrouel was waiting in, and she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.

Lee has been spotted out with Azrouel for nearly a year.

A source says:

"Billy is furious. His wife’s relationship with this guy is causing a split in his marriage. Initially, Billy thought it was great that she met a new friend, someone to occupy her time while he trudges through a long tour schedule, but now he’s become very concerned."

"Billy initially thought Yigal, being a male fashion designer, was gay, but when someone told him the guy was heterosexual and had women hanging all over him, Billy began to worry."

Friends have advised Joel to dump his wife when his tour ends in November. Just hire a private investigator, get the goods, then serve her with divorce papers in November. Hopefully Joel was smart enough to have a prenuptial agreement.

It’s understandable that Lee might need some attention being only 27 years-old. If that’s the case then Lee should be on tour with her husband.

Prince barely spoke, and still stole the show. It was billed as a news conference about the Super Bowl entertainment lineup, featuring pre-game performers Cirque du Soleil, national anthem singer Billy Joel and Prince, the halftime-show headliner.

Typically, these events have been question-and-answer sessions.

Then again, there’s little that’s typical about Prince, the enigmatic six-time Grammy winner who once changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol and was best-known for racy lyrics and gyrations before toning his act down considerably in recent years.

"We are not taking questions at the end," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told a room packed with reporters and photographers, trying to give fair warning about a minute before Prince arrived, "but we think the trade-off will be pretty good."

The trade-off was a 10-minute concert with Prince and his 10-person entourage using that as their taste of what’s coming at halftime on Sunday night.

His jacket, shirt, pants and shoes were orange – surprising since he is, after all, known as "The Purple One." Shielded from view moments before taking the stage, Prince came out, took a deep breath, grabbed his guitar and sauntered to the microphone.

"Thank you," he said, after finishing the quick set. "See you at the Super Bowl. Peace."

Then he was gone. Typical Prince.

"I think he’s brilliant," Joel said. "He’s one of the most talented people in the industry today." Prince thinks so too.

A six-time Grammy winner, Joel will become the first two-time performer of the national anthem in Super Bowl history. He also sang it before the 1989 game in Miami.

Sunday’s game entertainment opens with Cirque du Soleil – touted as "a high-energy extravaganza of music, dance, gymnastics and circus arts" – pairing with well-known Miami artist, Romero Britto, for a pregame show. Grammy winner Louie Vega will provide an original musical score for the show.

Some Cirque performers were present. They were dressed as football referees and sat atop eight-foot flamingo puppets who pranced around the room.

Billy Joel’s father is very ill, and may pass away soon. Here’s more:

Our condolences to Billy Joel. Sources in the Hamptons say Joel’s dad, Howard Joel, who lives in Vienna, is "not doing well" and will pass away soon. Howard, who escaped the Nazis as a child, left the Piano Man’s mom in the 1960s and moved back to his native Austria to remarry and have another son, composer Alexander Joel. Billy and Howard were reunited some years ago but, as he told the Villager.com in 2003, "It was strained . . . [But] I have great respect for him." Joel’s rep said, "That is true. He is not doing well. Billy just saw him while he was on his European tour but there are no immediate plans to return to Vienna."