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After the Catholic Church recently restated its stance against same-sex marriage, singer-songwriter Elton John took to Twitter to call out the “hypocrisy” of the Vatican “happily [making] a profit from investing millions in Rocketman.” The musician called the 2019 biographical musical film based on his life a movie in part a celebration of his “happiness from my marriage to David [Furnish, Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive].”
As Newsweek indicates, “John’s claims about the Vatican’s investment in Rocketman were first reported by the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera in December 2019.” Reportedly, the Vatican “invested more than 4 million euros, or about $5.1 million, into the production of Rocketman and Men In Black: International… $1.2 million went toward Rocketman.”
A spokesperson for Elton John told Newsweek, “[The Vatican’s] investment has been widely reported in many credible news outlets including the Financial Times. Aside from that, we are not able to comment any further.” According to The Daily Beast, The Vatican is currently investigating these investments.
Rocketman won several nominations and awards, including scooping up a 2020 Academy Award for Best Original Song plus Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a musical or comedy. Once COVID restrictions lift, John will resume his previously planned farewell tour, which as a result of the pandemic now has dates running through 2023.
