Elton John and ex-wife Renate Blauel resolve legal dispute over agreement not to talk of their four-year marriage – after she launched £3m lawsuit over his autobiography and Rocketman film
- Sir Elton John and his ex-wife Renate Blauel have resolved a legal dispute
- Ms Blauel sued Elton over an agreement not to talk openly about their marriage
- Contract when they split in 1988 preventing either from discussing marriage
- Ms Blauel sued Sir Elton over ‘repeated and flagrant’ breaches of the agreement
- Claimed he breached it in his 2019 memoir Me and in movie biopic Rocketman
Sir Elton John and his ex-wife Renate Blauel have resolved a bitter £3million legal dispute over an agreement not to talk openly about their marriage.
Ms Blauel, a German recording engineer, sued Sir Elton for allegedly breaching an agreement the pair signed after their divorce in 1988 following a four-year marriage.
She initially asked for an injunction to prevent future public disclosures as well as damages and costs said to be around £3 million.
Sir Elton and German-born Ms Blauel had met in 1983 while the star was finishing his Too Low for Zero album, which included the hit singles ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues’.
They were married at a star-studded ceremony in Sydney, Australia, in February 1984, but divorced four years later.
Ms Blauel sued Sir Elton over ‘repeated and flagrant’ breaches of the agreement in his 2019 memoir Me and in the biopic Rocketman, also released in 2019
At the time of their split in 1988, the pair signed a contract which included a clause preventing either of them from discussing their marriage or the reasons for their separation. Pictured, the couple on their wedding day in 1984
A spokesman for Sir Elton said: ‘The parties are happy to announce that they have resolved this case, in a way that acknowledges Renate’s need for privacy.
‘For her part, Renate acknowledges that Elton has acted in a dignified and respectful way towards her in the last 30 years and has been always happy to help her.
‘They will not be discussing each other, or their marriage, in future and will be making no further comment about the case.’
At the time of their split in 1988, the pair signed a contract which included a clause preventing either of them from discussing their marriage or the reasons for their separation.
Earlier this year, Ms Blauel sued Sir Elton over ‘repeated and flagrant’ breaches of the agreement in his 2019 memoir Me and in the biopic Rocketman, also released in 2019.
Ms Blauel, a German recording engineer, sued Sir Elton for allegedly breaching an agreement the pair signed after their divorce in 1988 following a four-year marriage. Pictured, the couple in 1984
In papers filed in his defence, the singer’s legal team denied breaching the agreement, arguing the details in the book and film are public knowledge and that the contract ‘applies only to private and confidential matters’.
Five scenes from Rocketman were referenced in Ms Blauel’s claim including scenes showing their wedding day as well as sleeping in separate bedrooms.
Another scene depicts Sir Elton in a group therapy session discussing the failure of his marriage ‘on account of his unhappiness and in particular his sexuality,’ the claim read.