Elton John Says Eye Infection Has Been ‘Distressing’: ‘It’s Been 7 Weeks Since I’ve Been Able to See’ Fully

Elton John, who’s been recovering from a severe eye infection that left him with “limited vision in one eye,” provided an update on his condition when he stopped by Variety’s studio at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

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John was there to tout his new documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” which captures the music man’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest rock stars, bookended by his landmark performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 to more than 100,000 fans and again in 2022 as the final North American stop on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.

John confessed he couldn’t watch the screening at the festival because of how limited his vision due to his infection: “I couldn’t really see it because of my eye, but I sensed it. I’d seen it before. I don’t know. Seeing it with an audience is far more emotional than just sitting with a bunch of people. I got more out of it last night than I did when I saw it the first time, and it hit harder.”

He further updated his condition by saying, “What’s happened with my eye has been very… just, it’s been very distressing because I’m used to getting out in the morning, looking at all the newspapers, looking at the charts, looking at everything, how the world is doing creatively, and I’ve lost that for the time being. It’s been seven weeks since I’ve been able to see all of this, but the prospect is good. I had a hell of a time.”

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His documentary will also chronicle the music icon’s relationship with his husband, David Furnish (who served as co-director with “The September Issue” filmmaker R.J. Cutler) and their boys, Zachary and Elijah.

The documentary will be available to stream on Disney+ on Dec. 13.

Variety’s Toronto Film Festival Studio is sponsored by J Crew and SharkNinja.

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