Elton John is continuing to push forward despite recent health struggles, according to his husband David Furnish.
Furnish, 63, recently shared an update about the legendary singer’s condition while speaking with Variety ahead of the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s annual Academy Awards Viewing Party.
“He’s great. He’s battling on. He’s keeping busy and moving forward,” Furnish said about the 78-year-old music icon.
While John has faced several health issues in recent years, Furnish said the singer is enjoying a quieter life at home with their family.
“He’s happy being at home as a family with our sons,” Furnish explained, referring to the couple’s children, Zachary, 15, and Elijah, 13. “That’s why he came off the road. We really love parenting, we love our family, and we love being together, and that’s everything for us.”
John and Furnish first entered a civil union in 2005 and later married in December 2014 on the ninth anniversary of that milestone. The couple welcomed their two sons via surrogacy in 2010 and 2013.
The health update comes after John opened up last year about losing sight in his right eye following a severe eye infection.
Speaking to Variety in November 2025, the singer admitted the condition has been incredibly difficult to cope with.
“Because I lost my right eye and my left eye’s not so good, the last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything,” he said.
John contracted the infection while vacationing in France during the summer of 2024. The illness affected both eyes and ultimately caused permanent damage to his vision.
Despite the setback, the music legend said he remains hopeful.
“I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope,” he said. “I’ve just got to be patient that someday science will help me with this one. Once they help me with this one, I’ll be fine.”
John has also spoken openly about the long list of health challenges he has faced over the years.
During the New York Film Festival premiere of Elton John: Never Too Late, he joked about the many surgeries he has undergone.
“To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left,” he said. “I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix. I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip.”
Still, the singer said he feels incredibly grateful for his life and the people around him.
“But I’m still here,” he added. “I can’t thank you enough. You’re the people that made me. I want to thank David and Zachary and Elijah for making me the happiest man in the world.”
In recent months, John has focused more on family life. The couple recently revealed that a new portrait featuring John, Furnish and their children will be displayed at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
“To have our family photographed by Catherine Opie and on display at the National Portrait Gallery is a huge honor,” they said in a statement. “We are huge admirers of her work and proud to have her beautiful and poignant images in our collection.”