Sir Elton John says he treated lovers ‘like hostages’ at the height of his crippling drug addiction – and knew he’d ‘fallen down the scale of humanity’ after ’embarrassing’ incident in rehab
Sir Elton John says he treated former lovers ‘like hostages’, behaved like a ‘bastard’ and was unable to operate household appliances without help until he was 40 due to his addiction problems.
The legendary singer-songwriter, who recently confirmed that he is losing his eyesight, made a series of surprising confessions about his personal life during his recent interview with TIME magazine.
Sir Elton, 77, discusses at length a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s and admits there were numerous victims, including his former partners, before his eventual rehabilitation in the 1990s.
“You make terrible decisions when it comes to drugs,” he explained. ‘I wanted love so badly that I just took hostages.
“I’d see someone I liked and spend three or four months together, and then they’d hate me because they had nothing else in their lives but me.
“It really upsets me when I think about how many people I probably hurt.”
Sir Elton John says he treated former lovers ‘like hostages’, behaved like a ‘son of a bitch’ and was unable to operate household appliances without help until he was 40 due to his addiction problems.
Sir Elton, 77, discusses at length a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s and admits: ‘I wanted love so bad, I’d take hostages’ (pictured on stage in 1986)
When Sir Elton entered Chicago’s Lutheran General Hospital as an inpatient in 1990, he received six weeks of treatment for his addiction to drugs, alcohol and food.
The experience is said to be sobering for more than one reason, with the British star humbled by his own inability to use basic household appliances.
He said: ‘It was a shock to see how far I had fallen on the scale of humanity. When I went into treatment, the most embarrassing thing of my life was not being able to use a washing machine.
‘Here you are 43 years old and you can’t operate a washing machine. That shows you’re in trouble.”
Sir Elton also had to confront his own shortcomings after beginning his recovery and embracing an abstinence-based 12-step program.
“It’s hard to tell someone he’s an asshole and it’s hard to hear,” he said. “I finally made the choice to admit that I’m an asshole.”
The pop veteran has been clean and sober for more than 34 years and believes the “higher power” has cared for him throughout his life and previously helped him overcome his personal struggles.
“I don’t really believe in the biblical God that much, but I do have faith,” he explained.
The pop veteran has been clean and sober for more than 34 years and believes the “higher power” has cared for him throughout his life and previously helped him overcome his personal struggles
Sir Elton explained that he doesn’t believe too much in a ‘biblical God’, but instead believes there is a spirit watching over him (pictured in 1976)
“My higher power has been taking care of me all my life; he got me through drugs, he got me through depression, he got me through loneliness, and he got me sober.
“He’s been there the whole time, I think. I just didn’t acknowledge him.’
Sir Elton previously revealed in a candid interview in 2021 that he regretted the first time he ‘saw a line of cocaine’.
He told Ladbible that he “just joined in for the sake of it becoming an addiction,” as he recalled the dependency that consumed two decades of his life.
On Wednesday, Sir Elton appeared on Good Morning America with his husband David Furnish for a conversation with Robin Roberts about his life, career and the personal challenges addressed in his new documentary.
In an interview with TIME magazine, he revealed that his faith helped him overcome his battle with drugs and depression and got him through a period of loneliness (pictured at the 2024 A Year in TIME dinner)
The music icon’s admission comes after he revealed his health problems, telling fans in September that he had been ‘recuperating at home’ for the past few months after an eye infection
He explained: ‘Unfortunately I lost my sight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it has now been four months since I have lost my sight.
“And my left eye isn’t the best, so. There is hope and encouragement that things will be okay and we are taking an initiative to try to make things better.
“That’s really what we’re focusing on right now.”
When asked to reveal more about his current health to reassure fans, Sir Elton joked: ‘David and I always have our blood tests done every six months in Los Angeles. Our health has never been better.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Elton shared: ‘Over the summer I dealt with a serious eye infection which has unfortunately left me with limited vision in one eye’ (pictured with Billy Porter, December 11, 2024)
‘It’s never lucky that something like this happens. I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything.’
The hitmaker, who played his final shows last summer, revealed his vision problems in September.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Elton shared: ‘Over the summer I suffered a serious eye infection which unfortunately only leaves me with limited vision in one eye.
‘I am healing, but it is an extremely slow process and it will take some time for vision to return to the affected 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 past few weeks.
‘I have spent the summer quietly recuperating at home and I am positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery so far.’
The Rocket Man singer opened up to fans about his condition, telling ABC News that he cannot see, read or view anything as a result of his eye infection.
The Rocket Man singer informed fans about his condition, explaining that due to his eye infection, he cannot see, read or view anything and has had 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 focuses all his attention on his health.
He said, “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything. I just need to get off my butt. Unfortunately, I lost my sight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France.
‘It’s been four months since I’ve been unable to see. And my left eye isn’t the best. So there is hope and encouragement that things will work out, but I’m a bit stuck at the moment.
“Because I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see any lyrics to begin with.
“We’re taking an initiative to get it better, but right now we’re really focusing on that.”