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Elton John’s Ex-Wife Renate Blauel Sues Singer Over Memoir & Hit Movie ‘Rocketman’

Elton John’s Ex-Wife Renate Blauel Sues Singer Over Memoir & Hit Movie ‘Rocketman’

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Elton John’s ex-wife, Renate Blauel, is seeking an estimated £3M ($3.8M) in damages over claims the singer broke the terms of their divorce agreement.

Blauel, who was married to the star for four years in the 1980s, is suing over sections of John’s 2019 memoir Me, and hit movie biopic Rocketman.

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Blauel claims these revealed details of the marriage, breaking an agreement they made when they divorced in 1988, and that her mental health was impacted by the disclosures.

The legal dispute first emerged last month, when Blauel filed for an injunction at London’s High Court. Further details have emerged after John’s team filed a response this week.

According to the BBC, Blauel claimed not to have been consulted about her appearance in Rocketman, in which she was played by Celinde Schoenmaker. She also said that, following the release of the movie and the memoir, a journalist had “been trying to locate her in her local village,” causing her “great anxiety”.

Blauel’s lawyer, Yisrael Hiller, told the BBC that Elton John had “ignored” his promise to keep the details of their marriage private.

“Renate is particularly upset by the film,” he added. “In her mind, the film seeks to portray their marriage as a sham, which she wholeheartedly disputes and considers a false and disrespectful portrayal of their time together.

“Renate wants the privacy that was promised to her – that is why she is seeking an injunction. Any claim for monetary relief is secondary, and would just cover damages and future expenses caused by Elton’s breaches.”

The £3M figure is referred to in John’s defense, as a sum that had been disclosed in previous correspondence between the two parties.

A source close to the singer told the BBC: “Elton is shocked and saddened by Renate’s claim after 30 years of a mutually amicable and respectful divorce, especially as he has only ever praised her publicly.”

His defense team acknowledged the existence of the divorce agreement, which both parties signed, but denied any breaches or causing “psychological harm”.

John married filmmaker David Furnish in 2005, and the couple have two children.

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