Prince Harry's $20 Million Legal Battle Takes New Turn as Elton John Says No: 'I am Not a Bank'
Prince Harry's reported bid for financial help may have hit a dead end, as a new report claims Elton John refused to foot the bill.
As Prince Harry arrived in the UK to promote the upcoming 2027 Invictus Games, he was hit with devastating news. The UK High Court had ruled against him in his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, leaving him with millions in legal costs. As per earlier reports, Elton John was allegedly helping bankroll the Duke of Sussex, but now even he has reportedly backed out.
With Harry now facing a nearly $20 million (£15 million) bill, reports suggested he may have turned to one of his mother's closest friends for help. Sir Elton John, who was also involved in the legal battle, was expected to step in and support the Prince financially, as per Page Six. However, according to journalist Paula Froelich, who took to her Substack, the singer has no plans to help Harry cover the hefty amount. A source speaking on the singer's behalf claimed, "I am not an ATM," adding that he was "furious" that Harry had even asked in the first place. The source added, “Elton is really the only one out of that entire group who can afford to pay that bill. He’s a little tapped out right now.”
Harry teamed up with John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and three others to sue Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The group claimed the publisher had been collecting their private information for years through illegal methods, including phone hacking, hidden listening devices, and hiring private investigators.
The latest claim comes as questions continue to swirl around the Sussexes' finances. The pair reportedly spend around $3 million a year on security and are still paying off two mortgages on their $14.5 million home in Montecito, California. An insider claimed (via Page Six) Harry "definitely doesn't have the money" to cover the bill, adding that Meghan Markle "did not want him to" pursue the lawsuit and would "likely be very furious about the fees."
John was not just a fellow claimant in the case. The music legend was one of Diana's closest friends and famously performed a rewritten version of "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral in 1997. He has remained close to Harry and Prince William over the years, and in 2018, the Duke personally asked him to perform at his and Markle's wedding reception.
