It's official - Sir Elton John may have a reputation as a bit of a diva, but he is no tinpot dictator. Yesterday the high court ordered the Daily Mail to pay £100,000 in damages to Sir Elton after it published a story about his allegedly rude and dictatorial behaviour at his annual charity ball.
In June 2005 the newspaper claimed the singer had ordered guests at his annual White Tie and Tiara ball, which raises money for his Aids charity, not to approach or talk to him. The paper issued a prompt apology, but Sir Elton's solicitor, Nigel Tait, told the court the story had nonetheless caused his client "considerable embarrassment and distress".
He continued: "The articles falsely alleged that Sir Elton had issued a bizarre and absurd edict to guests ... ordering them not to approach him ... thereby acting like old fashioned royalty or some tinpot dictator and exhibiting self-important, arrogant and rude behaviour bordering on paranoia."
In fact, the singer, who wore a 36-carat yellow diamond cross for the event, greeted guests as they arrived and chatted to as many invitees as possible throughout the evening, Mr Tait said.
The damages will go to Sir Elton's charity, the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In February he accepted an undisclosed sum from the Sunday Times over the same allegations. Sir Elton is well known for his fiery relationship with the press. This week at the Cannes film festival he lost his temper with paparazzi who were calling out as he presented an award to Canadian actor Kevin Zegers, who co-starred in the film Transamerica. "You should all be shot," he told photographers.