John Lennon's best friend reveals chilling 'warning' Yoko Ono received before murder

By Matt Jackson, Content Editor

Yoko Ono's "advisers" warned her that John Lennon was "in danger" just months before his assassination in New York, a close friend has claimed.

Elliot Mintz described The Beatles star as his "best friend" and worked as a publicist for his estate after his death in 1980. Elliot even spent an evening with Lennon and Yoko listening to their soon-to-be-released album Double Fantasy just weeks before the singer's death.

After his assassination, Elliot says Yoko found herself "surrounded by traitors", including former aide Fred Seaman, who was embroiled in a 20-year legal battle accused of stealing from the couple's home to write a tell-all book about the star. In 2002, he settled out-of-court with Yoko.

Years later, American author Albert Goldman published his biography about the Liverpool-born star, The Lives of John Lennon. In it, he alleged John was an abusive husband and father, a drugged-out recluse, and would visit prostitutes in Thailand.

Elliot Mintz was close friends with John Lennon (Image: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage)

The claims prompted Elliot to propose a radio interview to Yoko to counteract the allegations raised in the biography. He claims she said she would "check with her advisers," which meant her "team of tarot readers and numerologists". 

Elliot expressed his doubts about the "advisers" and questioned Yoko on why they hadn't foreseen John's tragic fate outside the Dakota apartment complex in New York. In his book, We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me, which The Times is serialising, Elliot recounts: "I'd never expressed scepticism about Yoko's mystical beliefs but for once, I pushed back.

"'Yoko, let me ask you something,' I said. 'If these advisers are as good as you believe they are, why is it that none of them saw what was going to happen to John? Why was there no warning? '" According to Elliot, Yoko responded that she had been warned, leading her to urge the legendary musician to leave New York.

A memorial in New York for John Lennon (Image: Getty)

She explained: "I was told he was in danger in New York and that he should be removed immediately. That's why I sent him to Bermuda over the summer. But I couldn't keep him away forever. He had to come back at some point."

Yoko further detailed that John believed "if they're going to get you, they're going to get you" and was not in favour of bodyguards. Lennon, aged 43, was assassinated outside the Dakota building on December 8 by Mark David Chapman, who shot the singer five times with a revolver.

Chapman received a sentence of 20 years to life and has been denied parole 13 times since his incarceration.