Elton John’s ex-wife, Renate Blauel, has launched legal proceedings against the singer at the high court, in a rare intervention by a woman who has been avoiding publicity for decades.
The German-born sound engineer, 67, filed legal paperwork to seek an injunction against John, reports The Guardian. The reason behind the injunction isn’t clear, but it’s often used in cases relating to privacy matters or to prevent materials from being published.
Blauel’s lawyer confirmed to the British newspaper that the paperwork had been filed and hoped that the matter would be resolved “amicably,” but declined to elaborate on the nature of the injunction.
Interest in Blauel’s marriage to the rock legend was renewed after the release of “Rocketman,” the 2019 Golden Globe-winning biopic about the 73-year-old “Tiny Dancer” singer.
The couple first met in 1983 in London while John was working on his “Too Low for Zero” album. Less than a year later, Blauel had joined the singer’s entourage for a tour of Australia.
The pair married in Sydney on Valentine’s Day in 1984. Four years later, the duo split — the same year that the rocker announced he was gay.
In a 2008 interview with The Australian, John, who had long struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, spoke of his decision to get married.
“A drug addict thinks like this: ‘I’ve had enough boyfriends, and that’s not made me happy, so I’ll have a wife — that will change everything.’ And I loved Renate. She’s a great girl. I really, really loved her. But, you know … it is one of the things I regret most in my life, hurting her.”
