John Travolta cries during In Memoriam segment at the Oscars 2023

2023-03-13

‘We will always remain hopelessly devoted’: John Travolta breaks down in tears as he introduces In Memoriam segment at the Oscars 2023 following death of his beloved Grease costar Olivia Newton-John

John Travolta got emotional as he paid tribute to his friend and late Grease costar, Olivia Newton-John
The 69-year-old nearly broke down in tears after sneaking in a subtle nod to the actress’s 1978 ballad hit, sung by her character Sandy in their iconic musical rom-com
The star barely finished his sentence as he choked on his words and began to well up, before mustering up the strength to welcome Lenny Kravitz to the stage

John Travolta got emotional as he paid tribute to his friend and late Grease costar, Olivia Newton-John, while presenting the In Memoriam segment at the Oscars on Sunday evening.

As he honored some of Hollywood’s greatest stars who passed away this past year, the 69-year-old nearly broke down in tears as he asked the audience and viewers to remember his peers in the entertainment industry that are no longer with us.

‘They’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and became dear friends, who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to,’ the father-of-three said with a quavering voice, after nodding to Newton-John’s 1978 ballad hit, sung by her character Sandy in their iconic musical rom-com.

The star barely finished his sentence as he choked on his words and began to well up, before mustering up the strength to welcome Lenny Kravitz to the stage.

The singer, 58, performed his 2004 hit Calling All Angels on the piano as a beautiful tribute video played that commemorated film industry professionals, including Ray Liotta, Angelo Badalamenti, Jean-Luc Goddard, Irene Cara, Julie Reichert, Burt Bacharach, Angela Lansbury, Mary Alice, James Caan, and Raquel Welch.

All choked up: John Travolta got emotional as he paid tribute to his friend and late Grease costar, Olivia Newton-John, while presenting the In Memoriam segment at the Oscars on Sunday evening

Lots of history: Newton-John and Travolta remained friends for more than four decades before her passing last year; seen in 1978

Fans were quick to praise Travolta’s vulnerability on Twitter, with many declaring him an extraordinary friend for pushing through his grief to present the segment.

‘Poor #JohnTravolta! He has recently lost 3 of the loves of his life!: his wife #KellyPreston #OliviaNewtonJohn & #KirstieAlley That’s a lot for anyone!’ one pointed out.

His wife, Kelly Preston, also passed away from breast cancer in 2020, while longtime pal, Kirstie Alley, died from colon cancer in December.

In August 2022, Newton-John has died at the age of 73 after a brave and extraordinarily public decades-long battle with cancer.

The actress died peacefully at her home in Southern California, surrounded by family and friends. Her husband John Easterling announced her death on her Facebook page.

‘Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends.

‘We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.

‘Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.

‘Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer,’ he said.

Following the news, flowers were laid on her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as fans celebrated the life of the much-loved actress and singer.

Travolta was among the first to pay tribute to the actress.

Emotional: As he honored some of Hollywood’s greatest stars who passed away this past year, the 69-year-old nearly broke down in tears as he asked the audience and viewers to remember his peers in the entertainment industry that are no longer with us

Pushing through tears: The star barely finished his sentence as he choked on his words and began to well up, before mustering up the strength to welcome Lenny Kravitz to the stage

Heartfelt: Fans were quick to praise Travolta’s vulnerability on Twitter, with many declaring him an extraordinary friend for pushing through his grief to present the segment

Lots of loss: ‘Poor #JohnTravolta! He has recently lost 3 of the loves of his life!: his wife #KellyPreston #OliviaNewtonJohn & #KirstieAlley That’s a lot for anyone!’ one pointed out

RIP: His wife, Kelly Preston, also passed away from breast cancer in 2020, while longtime pal, Kirstie Alley, died from colon cancer in December

‘John Travolta was tough to watch… so sweet,’ another gushed

A third tweeted: ‘John Travolta was so sad there, I just don’t have the heart to make the obvious joke about the risk or having him reading names out’

Others loved his ‘subtle reference’ to their film

Seen: His subtle nod to his former costar did not go unnoticed

‘Academy: who has experienced THE MOST loss in the last couple years? John Travolta! (Kelly, Olivia, Kirstie, Lisa Marie… )Yes! Let’s get him to cry on stage,’ another wrote

‘My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.

‘Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!’ he said in an Instagram post, at the time.

The actress famously beat breast cancer twice, but was diagnosed again in 2017.

She spent the last few years at home, campaigning for animals’ rights and raising money for her charity online.

In a haunting interview with The Guardian in 2020, she said of the disease: ‘It’s been a part of my life for so long.

‘I felt something was wrong. It’s concerning when it comes back, but I thought ‘I’ll get through it again”.

In other interviews, when asked how she battled the disease so bravely, she said: ‘I’ve had and am having an amazing life so I have no complaints.

‘I really don’t. Everyone goes through something. We all have something we need to go through in life. This has been my challenge.’

In Memoriam segment: The singer, 58, performed his 2004 hit Calling All Angels on the piano as a beautiful tribute video played that commemorated film industry professionals, including Ray Liotta, Angelo Badalamenti, Jean-Luc Goddard, Irene Cara, Julie Reichert, Burt Bacharach, Angela Lansbury, Mary Alice, James Caan, and Raquel Welch

In memory: In August 2022, Newton-John has died at the age of 73 after a brave and extraordinarily public decades-long battle with cancer

Decades of friendship: Newton-John and Travolta remained friendly over the years and were pictured above in 2016

Born in England to an MI5 agent father, Newton-John and her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, when she was six. She returned to the UK as a teenager to pursue a singing career and starred in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.

Her big break in Grease came four years later. She famously resisted the part, at first turning down producer Allan Carr because she thought she was too old for the role.

He won her over, and adapted the script to make the character an Australian ex-pat to accommodate her accent.

When the movie was released, it was an immediate, international hit and she became a global sex symbol.

Iconic: Her big break was landing the role as Sandy Olsson in Grease (dressed in character)

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