Elton John has slammed the U.S. for passing "disgraceful" laws which he believes discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
"It's all going pear-shaped in America," the singer told the Radio Times, according to The Guardian. "There's violence, [discriminatory] laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful. There's a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you're gay, which I find just unbelievable.
"We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It's like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering."
John also expressed his deep unhappiness about a "growing swell of anger and homophobia that's around America."
"I don't know if it's around Britain, because I haven't been here that much," he continued.
"But I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic. If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn't even make the papers."
Schofield, a British TV personality who helmed the award-winning breakfast program "This Morning" and came out as gay in 2020, made headlines recently when he quit the show. He later admitted to an affair with a young colleague in an interview with the Daily Mail.
During his interview with Radio Times, John also spoke about his decision not to do any residencies in the U.S.
The 76-year-old music icon decided to embark on his final tour several years ago in order to spend more time with his sons, which is why he will not schedule any performances in America.
John's farewell tour, originally planned for three years, extended to nearly five years and 333 shows due to the pandemic and a hip replacement.
As the tour concludes in Stockholm on July 8, John revealed he is not completely finished with live performances.
"I said when I announced the farewell tour that maybe I would do a residency like Kate Bush did at Hammersmith [Apollo in 2014], but not in America," he said. "I will not do it in America."
With a career spanning over half a century, John has achieved remarkable success, selling approximately 300 million records. He holds the title of the highest-grossing solo artist of all time, with his earnings totaling $1.898 billion, according to The Guardian.
In recent years, he has enjoyed renewed chart success through collaborations with hitmakers such as Britney Spears and Dua Lipa.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.