Elton John

🎹 Elton John’s Suicide Attempt: The Turning Point

📆 The Year: 1975

At the height of his fame in the mid-70s, Elton John was:

• One of the biggest music stars in the world.
• Battling inner demons — struggling with his identity, loneliness, and increasing drug use.
• Living in the public eye but feeling completely disconnected and overwhelmed.

During this time, he attempted suicide in a dramatic and very public way.

⚠️ The Incident (1975)

As described in his memoir Me, Elton:

• Was in a deep emotional crisis.
• Took a huge overdose of Valium.
• Then jumped into his home’s pool in Los Angeles — fully clothed, shouting:

  “I’m going to kill myself!”

• Friends, including his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, were present and immediately pulled him out.

He later said it wasn’t necessarily a clear plan to die, but more a cry for help, an explosion of everything he was bottling up inside.

💔 Why It Happened

He has said he was:

• Incredibly lonely.
• Ashamed of his sexuality (he came out as gay years later).
• Addicted to drugs, alcohol, food, and even shopping — trying to fill a void.

💊 Later Struggles

• Continued to struggle with cocaine and alcohol addiction for years.
• Attempted suicide again in the 1980s during a particularly dark binge.
• Finally got sober in 1990 — and has stayed clean ever since.

✨ Recovery and Legacy

After getting help:

• He rebuilt his life and career.
• Became a fierce advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ rights.
• Founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised hundreds of millions for HIV/AIDS causes.

🎬 Fun Fact:

His 2019 biopic Rocketman includes a stylized version of the pool suicide attempt — showing how dark and surreal his life had become. It’s a very emotional scene that captures the real pain behind the glamor.

🗣️ In His Words:

“I wanted to die. I hated myself. But I lived — and thank God I did, because the life I have now is more amazing than I ever imagined.”