Elton John's ex-wife is asking for a £3million pay out over claims he broke the terms of their divorce agreement. Renate Blauel is suing the Rocketman singer for writing about her in his 2019 autobiography, Me. The German-born sound engineer married Sir Elton in 1984. The couple divorced in 1988, and the star went on to marry David Furnish, with whom he has two children.
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According to legal documents filed at London's High Court, Renate feels the book broke the terms of a deal the couple made at the time of their split. Her lawyer has confirmed papers had been filed but said his client "hopes to resolve the matter privately and amicably".
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Elton John and Renate Blauel were married in 1984 until 1988
Renate has kept a very low-profile since the end of her four-year marriage, but in one section of his book, Elton spoke about the "huge guilt and regret" he felt for hurting Renate.
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He also wrote about having very limited contact with his ex-wife following their separation, but had invited her to meet his children because he "wanted her to be part of our lives, and us part of hers, in some way". "But she didn't want to," he said, "and I didn't push the issue. I have to respect how she feels."
Renate has kept a low-profile since the couple's divorce
He further spoke about his ex-wife’s decision to maintain their privacy, even after their divorce. "For years afterwards, whenever something happened to me, the press would turn up on her doorstep, looking for her to dish the dirt," he wrote. "And she never, ever has. She just told them to leave her alone."
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Former flight attendant Renate started working in London's Air recording studios in the early 1980s, working on albums such as Duran Duran's Rio and The Human League's Hysteria. She met Elton at the studios in 1983, as he recorded his comeback album Two Low For Zero, which included the hit singles I'm Still Standing and I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues.
Elton shares two sons with husband David Furnish
The couple married the following year in Australia, with Renate telling United Press International: "He's the nicest guy I've ever met."
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Elton, 73, has only very rarely spoken about his first marriage, perhaps most notably in 2017 while touring Australia. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, in part: "Many years ago, I chose Australia for my wedding to a wonderful woman for whom I have so much love and admiration. I wanted more than anything to be a good husband, but I denied who I really was, which caused my wife sadness, and caused me huge guilt and regret.
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"To be worthy of someone's love, you have to be brave enough and clear eyed enough to be honest with yourself and your partner," he added, before discussing his marriage to David and Australia's equal marriage debate.