EXCLUSIVE: Sir Elton John Admits He's Still Raging Over Being Barred from Adopting Tiny Ukrainian Orphan Boy
The singer said he felt a close bond with his LGBTQ+ fans in Russia and felt they needed his support.
Dec. 2 2024, Published 1:14 p.m. ET
Elton John's heartbreak over being denied the adoption of an 18-month-old Ukrainian boy is still haunting him nearly 15 years later.
In his tell-all 2024 memoir, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, John once more recalled the shattering truth of him and his partner, David Furnish, being instantly denied the chance to adopt the young orphan solely due to their sexuality, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
John has carved out a clean family image for himself with husband David Furnish.
John and Furnish, who have been a couple since 1993, attempted to adopt the boy – named Lev – from an orphanage in Makiivka, a city in the disputed Donetsk Oblast region of eastern Ukraine.
The Tiny Dancer hitmaker said meeting Lev in 2009 was the first time he realized he wanted to be a father – but knew he might face some roadblocks being in a gay relationship.
The British singer said meeting Lev was when he realized he wanted to be a father.
He wrote: "I first realized I might want to be a father on a visit to Ukraine in 2009 when I met a young orphan boy and carried him around for hours.
"Someone said, 'You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?' I didn't hesitate. 'I'd actually love to,' I replied."
John continued: "Unfortunately, David and I weren't allowed to adopt because we are gay. The discrimination hurt, but the experience encouraged me to realize that I wanted to be a father."
While the five-time Grammy winner was crushed, he noted that the story had a "happy ending" when he and Furnish welcomed their two sons, Zachary and Elijah, by surrogate in 2010 and 2013.
He noted: "After so many years as Elton John, I suddenly had another name: Daddy."
John has opened up about meeting Lev at that Ukrainian orphanage before, specifically while appearing on fellow British star Dua Lipa's interview podcast in 2022.
He said: "We had a press conference at the end and they said, 'You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?'
"And I went, 'I'd actually love to!' Of course, I wasn’t thinking about social media, as it went around the world straight away."
John added: "It became a bit of a pain, because the press got involved. We were too old to adopt children, and the draconian laws in the Ukraine … because I was gay, wouldn’t allow us to do it anyways."
The singer's failing health forced him to retire from touring after decades on the road.
He also shared the moment when Furnish asked if he wanted to be a dad – a question that made the singer realize his perspective had finally shifted after meeting Lev.
John recalled: "David said, 'Well, what do you think about having kids?' I had always said no, but this little boy was telling me something.
"He was saying, 'C'mon, you can be a dad.' And that's when we decided to have children, because of this little boy, Lev, in Ukraine."
After their initial meeting, Lev was forced to leave Makiivka due to the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region. Though blocked from adopting him, John is said to have helped Lev, his brother Arten, and their grandmother escape to the safety of Lviv.
John, a leading activist and patron of organizations fighting HIV/AIDS globally, frequently visits Ukraine to support the cause.
The I'm Still Standing singer saw Lev in Ukraine again a few years ago – which was an emotional experience for both of them.
He explained on the podcast: "I saw him two years ago in Ukraine. He was 10 or 11 years old, and he just came running up to me and started crying, and I started crying … They're safe and sound, and we keep checking on them."
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'I want to make the best of my time while I am around,' the iconic hitmaker recently said.
The two reunited at the Burabazar festival in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev – a meeting organized by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation for an anti-AIDS charity event called, A Day with Elton John.
The group was spotted warmly greeting each other at the event before Lev and John posed together in front of nostalgic photos from their first meeting when Lev was just a baby.
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