Sir Elton John says he treated his former lovers “like hostages”, behaved like an “imbecile” and was unable to operate appliances unaided well into his forties due to his addiction problems.
The legendary singer-songwriter, who recently confirmed that he is losing his sight, made a series of surprising confessions about his personal life during his recent interview with TIME magazine.
Sir Elton, 77, speaks at length about his crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s, and admits there were numerous victims before his eventual rehabilitation in the 1990s, including his former partners.
“Terrible decisions are made regarding drugs,” he explained. “He wanted love so much that he would simply take hostages.
‘I would see someone I liked and they would spend three or four months together, and then they would resent me because they had nothing in their life apart from me.
“It really bothers me to think about how many people I probably hurt.”
Sir Elton John says he treated his former lovers “like hostages”, behaved like an “imbecile” and was unable to operate appliances unaided well into his forties due to his addiction problems.
Sir Elton, 77, speaks at length about his crippling alcohol and cocaine addiction at the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s, admitting: ‘I wanted love so bad I would take hostages’ (pictured in the stage in 1986).
Sir Elton entered Chicago Lutheran General Hospital as an inpatient in 1990 and received six weeks of treatment for his drug, alcohol and food addictions.
The experience would be sobering for more reasons than one, as the British star would feel humiliated by her own inability to use basic appliances.
He said: “It was a shock to see how low I had fallen on the scale of humanity.” When I went into treatment, the most embarrassing thing in my life was not being able to use the washing machine.
‘Here you are, you’re 43 years old and you can’t work in a washing machine. “That shows you how screwed you are.”
Sir Elton also had to confront his own shortcomings after entering recovery and adopting an abstinence-based 12-step program.
“It’s hard to tell someone they’re being a jerk and it’s hard to listen to them,” he said. “I finally made the decision to admit that I’m being a jerk.”
Clean and sober for more than 34 years, the pop veteran believes a “higher power” has been watching over him his entire life and previously helped him overcome his personal battles.
“I don’t really believe in the biblical God that much, but I have faith,” he explained.
Clean and sober for more than 34 years, the pop veteran believes a “higher power” has been watching over him his entire life and previously helped him overcome his personal battles.
Sir Elton explained that he doesn’t believe much in a “biblical God”, but instead believes there is a spirit watching over him (pictured in 1976).
‘My higher power has been watching over me my entire life; He helped me get over drugs, he helped me get through depression, he got me through loneliness, and he got me sober.
I think it’s been there all along. I just didn’t recognize it.
Sir Elton previously revealed he regretted the first time he “saw a line of cocaine” in a candid interview in 2021.
He told Ladbible that he “just joined for the sake of it and it became an addiction,” as he recalled the dependency that consumed two decades of his life.
On Wednesday, Sir Elton appeared on Good Morning America alongside his husband David Furnish to chat with Robin Roberts about his life, career and the personal challenges presented by his new documentary.
In an interview with TIME magazine, he revealed that his belief helped him overcome his battle with drugs, depression, and helped him get through a period of loneliness (pictured at the 2024 One Year in TIME dinner).
The music icon’s confession comes after she revealed her health problems, telling her fans in September that she had spent the last few months “recovering at home” after an eye infection.
He explained: “Unfortunately I lost sight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and I haven’t been able to see for four months now.”
‘And my left eye isn’t the best, then. There is hope and encouragement that everything will be okay and we are taking an initiative to try to make it better.
“At the moment, that’s what we’re focusing on.”
When asked to elaborate on his current health to reassure worried fans, Sir Elton joked: “David and I always have blood tests every six months in Los Angeles. Our health has never been better.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Elton shared: “Over the summer I have been dealing with a serious eye infection which has unfortunately left me with limited vision in one eye” (pictured with Billy Porter on December 11, 2024) .
‘It’s never lucky that something like that happens. I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t see anything.’
The hitmaker, who performed his final shows last summer, revealed his vision problems in September.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Elton shared: “Over the summer, I have been dealing with a serious eye infection which has unfortunately left me with limited vision in one eye.
‘I am recovering, but it is an extremely slow process and it will be some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.
‘I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family who have looked after me so well over the last few weeks.
“I have quietly spent the summer recovering at home and feel positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery so far.”
Updating fans on his condition, the Rocket Man singer told ABC News that as a result of his eye infection he cannot see, read or watch anything.
Updating fans on his condition, the Rocket Man singer explained that as a result of his eye infection he is unable to see, read or watch anything and has to take a step back from his career.
Speaking to US news channel earlier this month about his new documentary Never Too Late, Elton admitted he was unsure of his ability to record new music as he puts all his attention on his health.
He said: ‘It’s been a while since I’ve done anything. I just have to move. Unfortunately, in July I lost sight in my right eye because I had an infection in the south of France.
‘It’s been four months since I couldn’t see. And my left eye is not the best. So there is hope and encouragement that everything will be okay, but I’m a little stuck right now.
‘Because I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording I don’t know, because I can’t see the lyrics to begin with.
“We’re taking an initiative to try to improve it, but at the moment that’s what we’re focusing on.”