The Untold Story Of Elton John's Two Wives: From A Secret Australian Wedding To A £3 Million Lawsuit Settlement

Elton John's personal life, much like his musical career, is a saga of dramatic highs, profound lows, and ultimately, enduring love. As of late 2024 and early 2025, the narrative around the legendary singer's partners is a fascinating study in contrast, spanning a brief, surprising marriage to a woman and a decades-long, public partnership with a man that has defined his later life.

The term "Elton John's wife" refers to only one person: Renate Blauel, a German sound engineer he married in 1984. However, his current and most significant partner is his husband, David Furnish. The recent, highly publicized settlement of a legal dispute with his ex-wife, Renate Blauel, keeps the story of his first marriage fresh in the public eye, even as his life with David Furnish continues to thrive.

A Tale of Two Marriages: Renate Blauel and David Furnish Biography

The complexity of Elton John's romantic life is best understood by looking at the two individuals who have held the most prominent roles: Renate Blauel and David Furnish. Their biographies and the timelines of their relationships offer a complete picture of the star's journey to finding lasting personal happiness.

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Renate Blauel: The First Wife (1984–1988)

• Full Name: Renate Blauel
• Nationality: German
• Occupation: Sound Engineer
• Date of Birth: 1953 (approximate)
• Relationship with Elton John: Married February 14, 1984, in Sydney, Australia. Divorced 1988.
• Key Event: Settled a lawsuit against Elton John in 2020 over claims of breaching their divorce's privacy agreement, specifically related to the film *Rocketman* and his autobiography *Me*.

David Furnish: The Husband (2005–Present)

• Full Name: David James Furnish
• Nationality: Canadian / British
• Occupation: Filmmaker, Director, Producer, CEO of Rocket Entertainment, Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
• Date of Birth: October 25, 1962
• Relationship with Elton John: Began relationship in 1993. Entered a Civil Partnership on December 21, 2005. Married on December 21, 2014, in Windsor, England.
• Children: Two sons, Zachary and Elijah.
• Current Projects (2024/2025): Executive Producer on projects like the documentary *Elton John: Never Too Late* and leading the Rocket Fund campaign.

The Whirlwind Marriage to Renate Blauel and the Recent Lawsuit Settlement

Elton John's marriage to Renate Blauel remains one of the most surprising chapters in his life. The couple met in 1983 while working on his album *Breaking Hearts* in a London studio, where Blauel was a sound engineer.

The engagement was announced just three days before the wedding, which took place on Valentine's Day, 1984, at St Mark's Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia.

At the time of the marriage, Elton John was 36 and Renate Blauel was 30. The union was tumultuous, and Elton John later revealed that he was deeply unhappy and struggled with his identity and substance abuse during this period.

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The couple divorced four years later in 1988. The separation was amicable, and Elton John publicly stated that he was gay and that his marriage to Blauel was a difficult time for both of them.

The Privacy Battle and £3 Million Legal Dispute

The story of Renate Blauel re-emerged in the news recently, providing a fresh, high-profile update to their quiet post-divorce life. In 2020, Renate Blauel filed a lawsuit against Elton John, seeking an estimated £3 million in damages.

The claim alleged that Elton John had breached a confidentiality agreement—a cornerstone of their 1988 divorce settlement—by including details about their relationship in his 2019 autobiography, *Me*, and the biopic *Rocketman*.

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Blauel, who has maintained an extremely private life away from the media since their divorce, claimed that these public disclosures caused her significant psychological distress.

The legal skirmish was ultimately settled out of court. The joint statement released by the parties was careful to acknowledge Blauel's deep need for privacy, confirming the resolution of the case. This settlement officially closed a significant, decades-old chapter in Elton John's life, reinforcing the privacy of his first wife.

The Enduring Partnership with David Furnish and Family Life

The stability and joy that Elton John found with David Furnish contrast sharply with the emotional turmoil of his first marriage. Their relationship, which began in 1993, is one of the most prominent and long-lasting in the entertainment world, spanning over three decades.

The couple first formalized their commitment with a Civil Partnership in 2005, the first day it was legally possible in England. They later upgraded this to a full marriage in 2014, following the legalization of same-sex marriage in the UK.

The Furnish-John Family: Zachary and Elijah

A central pillar of their life is their family. Elton John and David Furnish are fathers to two sons, both born via the same surrogate.

• Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 2010.
• Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John followed on January 11, 2013.

The couple has spoken openly about the joys of fatherhood, emphasizing the importance of providing their children with a normal, grounded upbringing despite their extraordinary life. The boys' godmother is a close family friend, the singer Lady Gaga.

David Furnish's Global Impact and Recent Work

David Furnish is not merely Elton John's husband; he is a highly successful filmmaker, producer, and executive in his own right. He currently serves as the CEO of Rocket Entertainment and is the Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF).

Under his leadership, the EJAF continues to be a global powerhouse in the fight against HIV and AIDS. A major recent initiative is the Rocket Fund, which aims to raise $200 million to counteract deep funding cuts in global HIV response and tackle stigma in the United States.

In his role at Rocket Entertainment, Furnish has overseen major projects, including the production of the recent documentary *Elton John: Never Too Late* and the development of the *Beyond the Yellow Brick Road* experience on the Roblox platform.

His contributions to the arts and philanthropy were recently recognized with an Honorary Degree from Royal Holloway, University of London, further cementing his status as a significant cultural and business entity in his own right.

Topical Authority: Elton John's Evolution and Legacy

The full story of Elton John’s partners—from his brief, complicated marriage to Renate Blauel to his enduring, foundational partnership with David Furnish—is essential to understanding the man behind the music.

His journey reflects a personal evolution: from a man struggling with his identity in the 1980s, leading to a marriage that was doomed to fail, to an openly gay global icon whose family life with his husband and two sons, Zachary and Elijah, is a model of contemporary stability and success.

The recent settlement with his ex-wife, ensuring her privacy, and the continued, high-profile philanthropic and business work of his husband, David Furnish, through the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Rocket Entertainment, prove that both chapters—the past and the present—remain highly relevant to his current legacy.