Vladimir Putin is a huge Elton John fan and the Kremlin sends him a WhatsApp message every year for his birthday, singer’s partner David Furnish reveals
Vladimir Putin would ‘love’ to meet Elton John and the Kremlin sends him a congratulatory message every year, the singer’s partner has revealed.
David Furnish said the Russian despot once said he would “love” to talk to Elton John and that the Russian health minister sends a WhatsApp every year on the singer’s birthday to wish him “all the best”.
It comes after Elton John Putin struck a blow in 2019 for his claim that Russia had “no problem” with gays.
Delivery told the guard: ‘Every March 25 I get a WhatsApp message from the Russian Health Minister saying, “I just want to wish Elton a happy birthday and we wish him all the best and love his music so much.” So it’s this strange paradox.
“There’s nothing in it if they send me a WhatsApp on Elton’s birthday. They’ve done it for a few birthdays in a row.’
Vladimir Putin would ‘love’ to meet Elton John and the Kremlin sends him a congratulatory message every year, the singer’s partner has revealed
David Furnish (pictured) said the Russian despot once said he would ‘love’ to talk to Elton John and that the Russian health minister sends a WhatsApp every year on the singer’s birthday to wish him ‘all the best’
Furnish added that Putin once called their home landline and offered a fawning apology to the singer after two pranksters called in 2015 pretending to be the Russian leader.
He said: “Putin himself was so shocked by this that he wanted to personally call to say: ‘I’m sorry this happened'”.
“I remember the call that came in – the whole house froze. Vladimir Putin calls the landline in your house. Perfect English.
“He just said, ‘I’m sorry someone called you up and pretended to be me because you don’t deserve to, you know, be made fun of or treated like that.
“And I hear you’d like to sit down and talk to me sometime. I’d welcome that, I’d love to talk to you.”
But in 2019, Elton attacked Vladimir Putin for claiming that Russia had “no problem” with LGBT people.
But in 2019, Elton attacked Vladimir Putin for claiming Russia had ‘no problem’ with LGBT people
In a series of tweets, the British superstar said: “Dear President Putin, I was deeply upset when I read your recent interview in the Financial Times.
“I strongly disagree with your view that the pursuit of policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity is outdated in our societies.
‘I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to ‘be happy’ and that ‘there’s no problem with that’.
“Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film “Rocketman” by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25-year relationship with David and raising my two beautiful sons.
“This feels like hypocrisy to me. I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognize the universal human right to love whomever we choose.
And I’m really grateful for the progress in government policy that has allowed and legally supported my marriage to David. This has brought immense comfort and happiness to both of us.”
The Rocketman singer said he was “deeply upset” by an interview the Russian president gave to the Financial Times, in which he said liberalism had “outlived its purpose”
The Russian leader hit back, saying that while Elton was a “genius musician,” he was “mistaken” in his views on LGBT rights in Russia – where it is a criminal offense to state that heterosexual and homosexual relationships are equally valid.
Putin said at the time: “I have a lot of respect for him, he is a genius musician, we all enjoy his music, but I think he is mistaken.”
He added that Russian authorities have a “relaxed and unbiased” attitude towards LGBT people, but that decisions about gender identity can only be made by adults and minors should therefore be “left alone”.
Putin had previously told the Financial Times: “I am not trying to offend anyone because we have been convicted for our alleged homophobia.
‘But we have no problem with LGBT people. God forbid, let them live as they please.
“But some things seem exaggerated to us. They now claim that children can play five or six gender roles.’
The Russian leader hit back, saying that while Elton was a “genius musician,” he was “mistaken” in his views on LGBT rights in Russia