Sir Elton John breaks silence about his ex-wife
Elton John and Renate Blauel.(Patrick Riviere/Getty Images)
Sir Elton John has spoken about his ex-wife as he urged people in Australia to vote for equal marriage.
Though Sir Elton is currently married to his long-time partner David Furnish, it was not the first time the music legend tied the knot.
Before coming out as gay, the musician had a turbulent and short-lived marriage to sound engineer Renate Blauel, whom he married in Australia in 1984.
They divorced in 1988, shortly before Sir Elton came out as gay.
In an Instagram post this week, Sir Elton broke his long-standing silence about his ex-wife, as he called on Australians to vote for equal marriage.
FEBRUARY 14 1984 : ELTON JOHN AND RENATE BLAUEL AT ST MARK’S CHURCH (Photo by Patrick Riviere/Getty Images)
He wrote: “I’m so excited to be back in Australia for a series of shows.
“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.
“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: “Almost 24 years ago, I met the person with whom I could be fully myself.
“When we married in 2014, it felt like that fact was accepted by the world.
“For David and I, being able to openly love and commit to one another, and for that to be recognised and celebrated is what makes life truly worth living.
“That acceptance and support makes us want to be as kind, responsible and productive members of society, as well as the best parents, that we can be.
“I love Australia. I love its spirit, it’s lack of pretence, it’s passion. I hope it can embrace the honesty and courage that seeks gay marriage as an expression not of desire but of love.”
He ended the post with the hashtags #loveislove #marriageequality.
Sir Elton John recently shared his memories of the late Princess Diana, on the 20th anniversary of her death.
The Rocket Man singer was close friends with the Princess prior to her tragic death 20 years ago today, in 1997.
The pair both worked during the AIDS crisis to challenge the public perception of HIV/AIDS, with their high-profile action helping to change the way the public saw the crisis.
Taking to Instagram, Sir Elton shared a vintage snap with the late Princess.
