Elton John allegedly vowed to support Britney Spears during this difficult time in her life because she feels bad for her.

The two artists recently collaborated on a unique rendition of John’s popular song, “Tiny Dancer.”

Now, New Idea is claiming that John and Spears’ friendship dates back several years ago.

“Elton couldn’t have come along at a more perfect time for Britney. She needs a father figure in her life and since Elton’s become a dad, he’s even more compassionate about her situation. He gave her full control in the studio [on their new song] and it liberated her – she’ll never forget it,” the source said.

The source added that John plans to keep recording music with Spears. And he knows that the singer needs him now more than ever. So, he’s taking her under his wing.

“Elton’s taken her under his wing. He sees so much of himself in her, as a pop star who also went through the wringer in his career. They had a lot in common from their intense family situations, growing up with very little, addiction problems, and getting ripped off every step of the way by more powerful people in Hollywood,” the source said.

John has also allegedly been giving Spears tips on how she could move on from her troubled past. He advised Spears to consider getting her version of the story out there via a movie or a biopic. After all, this is what he did with his film, Rocketman.

Years ago, no one would’ve thought that John and Spears would be this close. After all, the former previously called the latter too flawless following her 2012 performance.

But after he made his comments, John decided to apologize to Spears, and she accepted it. The two artists eventually buried the hatchet and they are now best friends.

The only problem is that no one knows for sure just how close John and Spears are to each other. So, it’s possible that the tabloid is exaggerating the two singers’ connection.

But it is true that Spears and John recorded “Tiny Dancer” recently. And this is what caused the tabloid to speculate on their relationship.

John has not necessarily taken Spears under his wing either. But fans can surely expect more collaborations in the future between the two.