Elton John’s ex-wife is suing him over his 2019 memoir, Deadline reports.
Renate Blauel, who was married to John from 1984 to 1988, filed suit against the singer-songwriter, claiming that his memoir, Me, revealed details about their relationship that he had pledged not to disclose in their divorce agreement.
Blauel is seeking $3.8 million in damages.
The Guardian reports that Blauel had asked that John make changes to his memoir and that the musician ignored her requests.
“When Renate learned, only days before the publication deadline, that Elton was writing an autobiography, she urgently tried to secure the removal of passages about her but Elton refused,” said Blauel’s attorney, Yisrael Hiller.
Blauel’s suit also claims that the movie Rocketman, a biographical film about John that was co-produced by his husband, David Furnish, contained a misleading portrayal of her relationship with the singer.
“Renate is particularly upset by the film which is inaccurate, misleading and insulting,” Hiller said. “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.”
The BBC quoted “a source close to” John as saying, “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."
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
