Who is Elton John’s ex-wife Renate Blauel and where is she now?
ELTON John is famed for his marriage to David Furnish.
Before they met however, he was in fact married to sound engineer Renate Blauel.
Who is Renate Blauel?
German Renate was born in Munich and was a sound technician by trade.
She met Elton John in early 1983 in London after being introduced when he was finishing his Too Low For Zero album.
Known for being quite quiet compared to Elton, Renate apparently wanted to become a record producer.
The pair married in 1984 while he was on tour in Australia.
How did Elton John and Renate Blauel meet?
John and Blauel, who was a sound engineer at the time, met while he was recording his comeback album Too Low for Zero.
This album includes the hit singles I’m Still Standing and I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues, in 1983.
They married the following year at a lavish ceremony in Australia.
When did Elton John and Renate Blauel split up?
The couple divorced in 1988.
Sir Elton, real name Reginald Dwight, later announced he was gay.
He went on to meet future husband, David Furnish, whom he shares two children with.
What legal action has Renate Blauel taken against Elton John?
On June 25, 2020, The Sun revealed how Renate has launched legal action against the singer after several mentions of her in his autobiography.
The Sun understands Renate and Elton agreed on what would be in the book after she reminded him he had signed a non-disclosure agreement after their split in the 1980s.
On July 23, 2020, it was revealed Renate is seeking a £3million payout.
She claims comments in the book, which were entirely positive, broke the terms of an agreement they made when they split up in 1988 and triggered long-standing mental health problems.
Documents filed with the High Court in London outline her case and ger lawyer said his client "hopes to resolve the matter privately and amicably".
The court papers state Sir Elton agreed to remove certain passages before publication of the 2019 book, Me.
But in one that was published, he admitted regret at “breaking the heart” of Renate.
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Where is Renate Blauel now?
Not much is known about Renate now as she has kept herself out of the spotlight following her divorce from Elton.
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The divorce settlement was around £5million.
After that, she went on to live in a country house in Surrey purchased for her by Elton - but is now believed to be back in her home nation of Germany looking after her parents.