Elton John Says He ‘Instantly Clicked’ with Billie Jean King Over Shared Struggles with Food Addiction and Sexuality

From the moment they met, Elton John and Billie Jean King knew they would be lifelong friends.

In the documentary Give Me the Ball!, which premiered Jan. 27 at the Sundance Film Festival and chronicles the life and legacy of King, the tennis champion, 82, and the “Rocket Man” singer, 78, reflect on the beginning of their decades-long friendship.

“My friend Tony said, ‘Billie Jean King is over there.’ He said, ‘Come say hello,’ ” John recalls of their first meeting at a party in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. “I said, ‘No, I’m too shy.’ ”

The nerves were mutual. “Tony comes over and says, ‘Elton is dying to meet you, but he’s too shy,’ ” King adds. “I looked up at Tony and said, ‘Ditto.’ ”

After being “dragged over” to meet King, John says, “Instantly, I clicked with her. I loved her so much, and I loved her passion.” King adds, “We talked until 5:30 in the morning.”

It was their shared drive that initially drew them together. “I had never met anybody who is built exactly like I am — in the way of, ‘Let’s do this, let’s think forward, let’s do good things,’ ” John explains.

Their bond deepened as they opened up about their shared struggles with sexuality and food addiction. “We confided in each other about how it was for each other and how hard it was to be gay,” King says. “We talked a lot about that and how it was horrible hiding — what do you do, how do you figure it out?”

John notes that King faced unique challenges as a public figure in the sports world. “Billie Jean King being such a household name in sport and being gay, it was difficult,” he says. “It was much easier for me. Everybody in the business knew I was gay. I mean, in show business, it’s not that big of a deal. I think it was much, much harder for her.”

The pair also speak candidly about food addiction in the documentary. “Those sorts of things take their toll, and we had very honest conversations about food, as an addictive substance,” John says. “You have to eat to stay alive. I did other drugs, but the hardest drug to give up is food. We both suffered from that.”

Despite their similar challenges, their friendship was also filled with joy. “When I played team tennis for the Philadelphia Freedoms, Elton started coming to matches,” King recalls. “We had so much fun. We became great friends.” John adds, “I just loved the idea of World Team Tennis. I said, ‘We should write you a song.’ ”

King was stunned. “I went, ‘What did he just say? Did I just hear you say you want to write me a song?’ ” Not long after, John released the chart-topping hit “Philadelphia Freedom.” Says King, “I loved it from the first note.”

She also joined John at his concerts whenever she could. “One time he wanted me to be a backup vocalist,” King remembers. “I said, ‘I can’t do that! I can’t sing a lick. Are you kidding me?’ I started running away, and the bodyguards picked me up and carried me onto the stage.”

John adds with a laugh, “I don’t think she resisted that much.”

Give Me the Ball! premieres Jan. 27 at the Sundance Film Festival and screens through Feb. 1.