George Michael says he is 'perfectly fine' and denies reports of crack cocaine addiction

The singer tweeted: ‘I am perfectly fine and enjoyed Wimbledon with the rest of you. Wish it went to 5 sets though!’

George Michael has denied reports he is addicted to crack cocaine (Reuters)

George Michael has denied a report that he is being treated for an addiction to crack cocaine, claiming that the comments of his alleged drug use have come from “someone I don’t know anymore and haven’t seen for nearly 18 years”.

The singer was responding to claims made by Jackie Georgiou, the wife of Michael’s cousin, who told The Sun newspaper that Michael has been checked into an expensive rehab facility in Switzerland for the past year because “he was smoking crack”.

Georgiou claimed the 52-year-old performer had been taking a number of drugs. “It’s crack, it’s drink, it’s coke. It was pretty dark and things were getting darker. He was going to end up locked up or dead. I’m petrified he will die,” she told the newspaper.

Georgiou also claimed family had visited Michael in the clinic last month to celebrate his birthday, and that “he was still drinking after a year in rehab”.

Michael has publicly addressed the claims, writing on Twitter: “To my lovelies, do not believe this rubbish in the papers today by someone I don’t know anymore and haven’t seen for nearly 18 years…

“I am perfectly fine and enjoyed Wimbledon like the rest of you. Wish it went to 5 sets though!... Lots of love, The Singing Greek.”

Representatives for the singer responded to the claims with the statement: “Whilst it is our general policy not to comment on private matters, we would in this instance note that these highly inaccurate stories have been apparently provided to the press by the wife of a very distant family member, neither of whom has had any dealings with him for seventeen years.

“It is therefore unsurprising that they are so incorrect. Beyond this we have no further comment to make as the matter is now in the hands of Mr Michael's lawyers.”

The singer’s previous issues with drugs have been publicly documented in the past. Michael was arrested in 2008 in a north London public toilet for possession of drugs, thought include crack cocaine. A year earlier he had been banned from driving for two years after he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, and a year earlier he had been arrested and cautioned for possessing class C drugs.

In 2010 the singer was banned from driving a second time and was given an eight week prison sentence for crashing his car while under the influence of drugs. He had been arrested after he drove his Range Rover into a branch of Snappy Snaps in Hampstead, north London.