Elton John is a well-respected individual who needs little introduction because of the impact he has had on the music industry. He has been living in the limelight for years and has given multiple interviews because people want to know his thoughts. Or do they? Elton has proven that he can be a little harsh with his comments when it comes to people he doesn’t like, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind!
He has had very unkind things to say about Madonna and her career, he and Lily Allen publicly exchanged barbs, and he has a few choice words to describe talent competitions and the record industry. On the other side of the coin, Elton has made some wonderful Hollywood friends who think the world of him. Below are 15 of his surprising Hollywood enemies, and 5 of his friends.
20 Lily Allen And Elton John Have No Love Lost Between Them
Lily Allen and Elton John will not be performing a duet together anytime soon because they just don’t like each other. According to Access Online, their feud started when the “exchanged barbs” while hosting the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London. As the night progressed, things got worse, and the two musicians made it clear they wouldn't be hanging out in the future.
19 Elton John Fell Out With Simon Cowell After He Called His Show ‘Boring’
Elton John is not one to hold his tongue, and he says what’s on his mind, regardless of who he offends. According to Wonderwall, he had a falling out with Simon Cowell after he refused to appear on American Idol because he doesn’t like talent shows. The publication quotes John as saying the show was “boring” and “brain crippling.”
18 Out Of All The Celebrities Elton John Dislikes, Madonna Is His Least Favorite
Over the years, Elton John has found himself feuding with several celebrities, but there is no one he dislikes more than Madonna. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the feud began in 2004 after Elton accused Madonna of “lip-syncing.” This was the first of many insults to be directed at the Queen of Pop.
17 Elton John Has Played An Important Role In Kelly Osbourne’s Life
Elton John has tremendously impacted Kelly Osbourne’s life, and she shared this in an interview for PeopleTV (via Yahoo!). Osbourne mentioned how she "couldn't imagine a life without" Elton, and also called him “one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
16 Keith Richards Didn’t Try To Hide The Fact That He Thought Elton’s Songwriting Abilities Lacked Substance
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards created an enemy when he criticized Elton John’s songwriting abilities after hearing “Candle In the Wind.” The song in question was written to honor Princess Diana and was performed at her funeral, but Richards was not impressed. “His writing is limited to songs for dead blondes,” he said, according to Digital Spy.
15 Dolce & Gabbana’s Comments On Adopted Children Made Elton So Angry It Resulted In A Boycott
Dolce & Gabbana’s Domenico Dolce angered Elton John with the comments he made on adoption. According to The Sun, he told a magazine, “The only real family is the traditional one.” Elton reacted by calling for a boycott of the brand, writing on social media, “Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times. Just like your fashions. I shall never wear Dolce & Gabbana again.”
14 Elton John Hates The Record Industry (So Basically Everyone In It)!
It’s not just a handful of individuals that Elton John doesn’t like because he’s also made it clear that he thinks very little of the record industry. According to The Telegraph, Elton said the industry was run by “idiots.” He didn’t stop there; he also claimed that they “sicken” him and that they were “thick.”
13 Elton John Would Never Watch Janet Jackson Perform Because He Thinks She Lip Syncs
Fans of Janet Jackson should look away now because Elton John has said some unkind things about her performance abilities. In an interview with Rolling Stone (via E! News), John explained that he couldn’t understand the raving reviews about Jackson’s performance because its lip-synced. He added, "I'd rather go and see a drag queen.”
12 Victoria Beckham And Elton Are So Close They Even Vacation Together!
Victoria Beckham and Elton John are such good friends that they even take holidays together. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the pair, along with their husbands, David Beckham and David Furnish, and their kids, enjoyed a yacht trip in the South of France. Victoria posted a photo from their outing, writing, “Beautiful day with beautiful people.”
11 Reality TV May Appeal To Some People, But Elton John Has A Bone To Pick With ‘Love Island’ Celebrities
Reality TV isn’t a genre that is loved by everyone, and Elton John has expressed his views on how these individuals haven’t worked for their fame. Elton shared his thoughts on stardom during George Ezra’s podcast (via Evening Standard), saying, “Now the word celebrity, you can be somebody off Love Island, I don't know who they are.”
10 He Made It Public That He Felt Leona Lewis Was At The Mercy Of The Next Song She Could Get
Leona Lewis rose to fame thanks to The X Factor, and we have already established Elton John is not a fan of talent shows. He mentioned Leona Lewis specifically during his interview with Radio Times magazine (via Today). "TV vaults you to superstardom and then you have to back it up, which is hard," he said. "Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke are at the mercy of the next song they can get.”
9 Elton John And Eminem Are The Most Unlikely Celeb Friends!
Elton John and Eminem have one of the most surprising friendships in Hollywood. They have been close since performing the rapper’s song, "Stan" at the 2001 Grammys, and Refinery29 notes that they have spoken about each other in multiple interviews over the years. John has called Eminem a “dear friend.”
8 Rod Stewart And Elton Were Once Friends, But That Changed After A Joke
Rod Stewart and Elton John were once friends, but their relationship took a sad turn after a joke went too far. According to Daily Mail, the disagreement happened in 2018, after Elton announced his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Stewart made a comment on a television show making fun of Elton’s farewell tours, saying, “I did email her [Elton] and said: ‘What, again, dear?’ And I didn't hear anything back.”
7 David Gest Disliked Elton John So Much That He Reportedly Put A Hit On Him
Elton John may have a long history of insulting Madonna, but she is nowhere near his biggest enemy. According to Nicki Swift, music producer David Gest (who was married to Liza Minnelli) was so angry by a joke that Elton made that he “ordered a hit on John.” The hit was meant to take place in 2003, but Gest is believed to have changed his mind and called it off.
6 David Bowie Wasn’t Elton John’s ‘Cup Of Tea’
David Bowie and Elton John are some of the most loved and respected musicians today, but they weren’t best friends. “David [Bowie] and I were not the best of friends towards the end,” Elton told Evening Standard. In the same interview, he stated, “He wasn’t my cup of tea,” and then corrected his statement to say, “no; I wasn’t his cup of tea.”
5 George Michael Didn’t Appreciate Elton Discussing His Personal Life With The Press
Elton John and George Michael were once close, but according to Wonderwall, Elton “spoke poorly” about George’s struggles in an interview with Heat magazine. "George is in a strange place," he said. "There appears to be a deep-rooted unhappiness in his life." This comment is believed to upset George.
Esquire notes that years later, the two men appeared to begin to reconcile.
4 Apparently, Tina Turner Was Rude To Elton And Left Him In Tears
Elton John and Tina Turner exchanged words after they clashed in the planning stages of their joint tour, The Sun reports. According to the publication, Elton claimed in his autobiography that Turner was “awful” to him and called him up to suggest he make several changes to his appearance. The call is said to have left him in tears. Things didn’t improve in rehearsals, and it ended in Elton storming off. They later spoke about their differences, and although the show was called off, they made up.
3 Molly Meldrum Is Ready To End The Long-Running Feud With Elton John
Molly Meldrum hopes to reconcile with Elton John in the future and put their feud to rest — although it's unclear what exactly sparked their disagreement. Meldrum shared his thoughts with Channel Seven's Sunday Night program (via Daily Mail). “We've had the most amazing journey for a long, long time. We've both through the ups, and we've been through the downs,” Meldrum said.
2 John Legend Is An Elton John Fan, And The Feeling Is Mutual
John Legend honored Elton John (along with other musicians) for the I’m Still Standing — A Grammy Salute, Yahoo! notes. But the admiration is mutual, as Elton John decided to share this photo of the two of them. He captioned the post with a message about how it was “Such an honor to share the stage with the incredibly talented John Legend.”
1 Elton And Princess Diana Had Their Problems But Reconciled In The End
Elton John and Princess Diana became such good friends that he even performed at her funeral. According to Harper’s Bazaar, they had a “long and complicated” relationship, and there was a time when they did not see eye-to-eye. However, before her passing, they reconnected, and Elton spoke about their friendship in an interview with Lorraine. “She was a great friend to me. We had our fallings-out, but we reconciled in the end,” he said.
Sources: Access Online, Wonderwall, The Hollywood Reporter, Digital Spy, The Sun, The Telegraph, E! News, Evening Standard, Today, Daily Mail, Nicki Swift, Esquire, Refinery29, Harper's Bazaar, Yahoo!, Elton John Instagram, Lorraine.
