Tells about: The tough abortion • The death of my best friend • The quarrel with Petter Stordalen • The new love
Published 2024-01-28 10.44
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Sex in the woods, drugs and a broken heart.
Album current Elliphant, 38, talks about when she was left for “Australia’s Bianca Ingrosso”, lost her best friend and about the fight with Petter Stordalen.
– I hope he is ashamed, she says.
When the artist Ellinor ”Elliphant” Olovsdotter every 33 years everything crashed.
She was suddenly left after a several-year relationship and at the same time her best friend died with whom she created the music project Elliphant together with.
– Then I moved home to Sweden and gave up music, it was too traumatic for me, says Elliphant.
Today, five years later, she has found her way back to both herself and the music. The new record “Troll” has just been released and she describes it as “messy”.
– It feels like my skin has come back somehow, it just feels right.
Behind her, she has a long international career that includes collaborations with, among others Skrillex, Doja Cat and Katy Perry.
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helskärmElliphant Photo: Magnus Wennman
But the music career has not been straightforward – and far from obvious.
Elliphant describes that she grew up in a “broken family”, she left school in the eighth grade and went abroad instead. The music was always there, but mostly as a fun thing.
– Music was never something I invested in, I’ve probably always only invested in expression in general, she says.
– But I fell into that when I was 26. I made a song together with a friend – and then bang.
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full screen Elliphant, Ellinor Olovsdotter Photo: Robin Lorentz-Allard
The tough abortion: “I hadn’t really landed in it”
The music career that took off with a bang was also followed by a life of hard partying, alcohol and drugs.
In the middle of it all, when Ellinor was at the peak of her music career, she also got unplanned pregnant when she and an ex met on National Day and had sex in the woods.
– It was a summer and I drove my Elliphant race. Then I started to feel sick and took a test, then I was already eight weeks pregnant, she says.
– I knew that it was not sustainable to keep this child, there was no stable foundation in my relationship with the father and then I had received a completely sick record deal.
The busy schedule also did not leave much time for reflection.
– I had an abortion but not because I myself decided to do it. It became very stressful and everyone wanted me to do it, but I’m not sure I had the abortion for the right reasons, I didn’t really have time to come to terms with the decision, she says.
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helskärmElliphant Photo: Magnus Wennman
Was left for “Australia’s Bianca Ingrosso”
At the same time, she was expected to be happier than ever because of the music success.
– People looked at me and were like: “Wow, what a fucking experience you’re having – do you understand how awesome this is?”, she says and continues:
– I didn’t do it. My only dream was to be loved, and to become a mother.
The years passed and soon she was in a steady relationship. The desire for children was stronger than ever, but just days after Ellinor and her boyfriend had signed a contract for a new apartment, he left her.
– He just disappeared and ghostade me, then I found out that he had fallen head over heels in love with another girl. I have respect for that, for life and for love, but it was terrible to be left like that, she says and continues:
– His new girl was like Australia’s Bianca Ingrosso, so I had to read about them everywhere. It was brutal, I was already at rock bottom.
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full screen Icona Pop, Zara Larsson and Elliphant at the Grammy Awards 2016. Photo: Anna Tärnhuvud
Lost best friend
But things would get worse. A month later, her best friend and co-creator of Elliphant died, Tommy Tysper.
– We were best friends until the end, I think I talked to him 16 hours a day the last few days. We had planned, we were going to the doctor and everything would be fine.
Ellinor tells how the news of the death caused her to break down completely.
She went home to Sweden and did a complete turnaround. She stopped drinking and smoking and when she least expected it to happen – she met love again.
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full screen Elliphant at Kentfest at Gärdet 2014. Photo: Natanael Johansson
– He makes me feel safe, she says, smiling widely when she talks about the guy who she says is the greatest love of her life.
Eventually, the dream of becoming a mother also came true.
The daughter, who is three years old today, is called Lila as a tribute to Tommy who loved Prince.
– Life still didn’t change as much as I thought it would. First came a lot of feelings of responsibility and then, slowly, came that sick love, she says.
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helskärmElliphant Photo: Magnus Wennman
The quarrel with Stordalen: “I hope he is ashamed”
Although Elliphant’s journey of success mainly took place in the USA, she has also been seen in a number of Swedish contexts over the years. Her participation in the television program “Benjamins” became memorable in several ways when she smoked together with the multi-billionaire Petter Stordalen61. Among other things, they had different views on the pandemic, where Elliphant, unlike Stordalen, thought there were glimmers of light.
– He was offended. But I was just myself.
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fullscreen chevron-rightnextElliphant.
1 / 2 Photo: TV4
She was even more surprised by Stordalen’s behavior when she saw the program on television.
– He talked about how much money he had lost during the pandemic. Then I wanted to highlight something positive and good that came out of it all, although of course I also think it was misery. But then he lost it completely.
– That he, as one of the richest people in the world, sits there and humiliates me, I hope he is ashamed.
Do you have any contact today?
– I actually took his number after the program, or I don’t know if it’s his number but I’ve messaged maybe like 20 times just to jitter, she says and laughs.
– I usually invite him to my gigs when I play in Norway, but he has never responded. He doesn’t like me in any way. But people who don’t like me, they actually have issues.
Aftonbladet has contacted Petter Stordalen, who does not want to comment on the row.
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full screen Icona Pop, Zara Larsson and Elliphant at the Grammy Awards 2016. Photo: Anna Tärnhuvud
Plus on life with Elliphant
The career
– It’s a five considering the music I’m releasing now. It’s a fifth for honesty and accuracy in the whole thing, but unfortunately a one when it comes to the reach. Not enough people are listening.
The health
– Health is quite low. I’ve had a lot of colds lately. If you were to go by society’s standards, I’m mentally ill haha. No, but I’m absolutely healthy, it’s perfectly fine, so we say a third.
The economy
– Nothing happens there, it’s a one. It’s tough. I’m lucky I made that strong stuff in the US a long time ago that still delivers. In Sweden it is difficult musically. It will be a one on the economy.
The love life
– It’s a five. I have never been as calm and as secure as I am in this relationship.
Dina fans
– They are also a fifth. They are absolutely amazing, loyal and so kind!