Elton John's Ex-Wife Sues Singer for Nearly $4 Million

Global pop music star Sir Elton John is being sued by his ex-wife, Renate Blauel, for £3 million - which is just shy of $4 million USD - for purported breach of an agreement reached as part of their 1988 divorce, reports the BBC.

The agreement stipulated that there would be no public disclosures regarding their marriage, according to UK newspaper The Times. But, the suit alleges, John broke that agreement in a memoir. The suit also alleges that "Rocketman," the Dexter Fletcher-directed 2019 biopic, violates that agreement.

John's lawyers denied the claims, saying that the singer had abided by the agreement and disagreeing that he had done anything to cause Blauel any "psychological harm."

Blauel's legal team disagreed in turn, pointing to depression and anxiety that Blauel suffered during their marriage and claiming that John is familiar with her mental health history, and could have foreseen that the memoir and film would bring Blauel back into the spotlight, which would be stressful and mentally harmful to her.

Among other claims, Blauel's attorneys said that she had attempted suicide on the couple's 1984 honeymoon in St. Tropez.

That suicide attempt took place after John announced that the marriage - only a few days old - was not working, Blauel's lawyers alleged. They also said that John had shown little sympathy or support for Blauel during that time, failing to visit her in the hospital after the attempt and then sending her straight back home to England.

The attorneys also cited instances of subsequent anxiety attacks that took place during the marriage.

Blauel's legal team said that her anxiety and depressing were "exacerbated by press interest in her and by publicity relating to her" in the wake of the book and the film.

John's attorneys rebuffed the assertions, saying in a statement, "It is well documented that their marriage was completely respectful and the relationship both Elton and Renate had after they divorced continued to be kind, respectful and honourable for the 30 years following."

The statement went on to counter-charge that Blauel was seeking to "tarnish [Elton's] name publicly" and "extract a large sum of money" from the star, reported UK newspaper The Mirror.

Said the statement:

"We also find it baffling that this claim is centered around privacy when at every stage of these proceedings Renate has chosen to file these claims in the public domain (when she could have chosen to keep them confidential) about supposed experiences that happened during their marriage which completely goes against the entire grounds of the case."