Sir Elton John says he treated former lovers ‘like hostages,’ behaved like an ‘a**hole’ and was unable to operate household appliances without help until he was well into his forties because of his issues with addiction. 

The legendary singer-songwriter, who recently confirmed he is losing his sight, made a series of startling admissions about his personal life during his recent interview with TIME magazine. 

Discussing at length a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and ’80s, Sir Elton, 77, admits there were numerous casualties before his eventual rehabilitation in the ’90s – among them his former partners. 

‘You make terrible decisions on drugs, he explained. ‘I wanted love so badly, I would just take hostages. 

‘I’d see someone I liked and spend three or four months together, and then they would resent me because they had nothing in their life apart from me. 

‘It really upsets me, thinking back on how many people I probably hurt.’ 

Sir Elton John says he treated former lovers ‘like hostages,’ behaved like an ‘a**hole’ and was unable to operate household appliances without help until he was well into his forties because of his issues with addiction

Discussing at length a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and ’80s, Sir Elton, 77, admits ‘I wanted love so badly, I would take hostages’ (pictured onstage in 1986)

Entering the Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago as an in-patient in 1990, Sir Elton received six weeks of treatment for his addictions to  drugs, alcohol and food. 

The experience would be sobering for more than one reason, with the British star humbled by own inability to use basic domestic appliances.

He said: ‘It was a shock to see how far down the scale of humanity I’d fallen. It was the most embarrassing thing in my life when I went into treatment that I couldn’t work a washing machine. 

‘Here you are at 43 years of age, and you can’t work a washing machine. That shows you how you’re f***ed up.’ 

Sir Elton also had to confront his own shortcomings after entering recovery and embracing an abstinence based 12-step programme. 

‘It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a**hole nd it’s tough to hear,’ he said. ‘Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a**hole.’  

Clean and sober for more than 34-years, the pop veteran believes ‘higher power’ has been looking after him all his life and previously helped him overcome his personal battles. 

‘I don’t really believe in the biblical God too much, but I have faith,’ he explained. 

Clean and sober for more than 34-years, the pop veteran believes ‘higher power’ has been looking after him all his life and previously helped him overcome his personal battles 

Sir Elton explained that he doesn’t believe in a ‘biblical God too much’ but instead believes that there is a spirit watching over him (pictured in 1976)

‘My higher power has been looking after me all my life; he’s got me through drugs, he’s got me through depression, he’s got me through loneliness, and he got me sober. 

‘He’s been there all the time, I think. I just didn’t acknowledge him.’

Sir Elton previously revealed that he regretted the first time he ‘saw a line of cocaine’ in a candid interview in 2021.

He told Ladbible he ‘just joined in for the sake of it and it became an addiction’, as he recalled the dependency that consumed two decades of his life.

On Wednesday, Sir Elton appeared Good Morning America alongside his husband David Furnish for a chat with Robin Roberts about his life, career and the personal challenges featured in his new documentary. 

In an interview with TIME magazine, he revealed his belief helped him overcome his battle with drugs, depression and helped him through a period of loneliness (pictured at the 2024 A Year in TIME dinner)

The music icon’s confession comes after he revealed his health woes, telling fans in September he had spent the past few months ‘recuperating at home’ following an eye infection

He explained: ‘I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see.

‘And my left eye is not the greatest, so. There’s hope and encouragement that it will be okay and we’re taking an initiative to try and get it better. 

‘At the moment that’s really what we’re concentrating on.’

When asked to elaborate on his current health to put fans worried at ease, Sir Elton quipped: ‘David and I always have our blood tests every six months in Los Angeles. Our health has never been better.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Elton shared: ‘Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye’ (pictured with Billy Porter Dec 11, 2024)

‘It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen. 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 eyesight issues in September.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Elton shared: ‘Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye.

‘I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.

‘I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.

‘I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home, and am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far.’ 

Updating fans on his condition, the Rocket Man singer told ABC News that as a result of his eye infection he can’t see, read or watch anything.

Updating fans on his condition, the Rocket Man singer explained that as a result of his eye infection he can’t see, read or watch anything and is having to step back from his career

Speaking to the US news channel earlier this month about his new documentary Never Too Late, Elton admitted he wasn’t sure about his ability to record any new music, as he puts all his focus on his health.

He said: ‘It’s been a while since I’ve done anything. I just have to get off my backside. I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France.

‘It’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see. And my left eye is not the greatest. So there’s hope and encouragement that it will be okay, but I’m kind of 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 a lyric for a start.

‘We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better, but at the moment that’s really what we’re concentrating on.’