Olivia Newton-John cause of death updates — Grease star dies at 73, husband John Easterling announces | The Sun
GREASE star Olivia Newton-John has died aged 73 after battling breast cancer, her husband said.
The four-time Grammy Award-winner died on Monday morning at her Ranch in Southern California surrounded by loved ones.
In a post shared on Facebook, her husband said: "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."
The star is survived by her husband and daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, alongside other family members.
Read our Olivia Newton-John live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Carsen Holaday
Olivia’s legacy
Olivia is most known for her role as Sandy Olsson in the movie “Grease.”
She also starred in the movies “Xanadu” and “Two of a Kind.”
- Carsen Holaday
Mandy Moore's tribute
Actress Mandy Moore shared a black and white photo of the star and a touching message on her Instagram stories.
Mandy wrote: "Thank you for the joy you brought countless people around the world."
- Carsen Holaday
Co-star breaks into tears
Earlier on Monday, co-star Barry Pearl, who played Frenchy's boyfriend Doody in the film, broke down on the Australian version of the breakfast TV show Today, as he remembered their final conversation.
The actor said he'd heard from a colleague that Olivia was "failing again" and it wasn't going to be long until she passed away.
So the 72-year-old decided to get in touch before it was too late.
"I took it upon myself to write to her, as we would occasionally share emails amongst each other – [with] the other Grease-er pals too," he explained.
"She would always sign her emails, 'With love and light, Olivia'. And I wrote to her – and I basically said that 'On your journey forward, simply know that you, Olivia, are the love and the light'" he reflected.
"She just always exuded that positivity. Just the way she handled this journey with grace. Her heart was so big."
- Carsen Holaday
Matron of honor
Olivia Newton-John told Daily News in September 2021 that while Covid-19 had ruined her daughter's wedding plans, she'd already picked out her dress.
The mother told the outlet: "She's got her dress though – I had that wonderful experience."
"You think, as a mother, you want to be there to help pick out the wedding dress, and I got to experience that with her."
- Carsen Holaday
Chloe's post
Three days before her mother's death, Lattanzi posted a photo to her Instagram account of the two of them standing arm in arm.
The caption read: "I worship this woman. My mother. My best friend."
- Carsen Holaday
Olivia's ranch
Olivia Newton-John passed away in her Southern California ranch last night.
The star lived in the ranch with her husband John Easterling.
Credit: Splash Credit: Splash - Carsen Holaday
Chloe's activism
While Chloe has been quite open about the fact that she had botched plastic surgery at the age of 18, the 36-year-old was also addicted to cocaine and Xanax.
Now, she is mostly against Western medicine, and her mother admitted that she was pain-free because of legal cannabis.
Lattanzi has also spoken about eating disorders, as she experienced the pain of having one.
She claims that her fiancé and her mother helped her through recovery.
- Carsen Holaday
Who is Chloe Rose Lattanzi?
She may have been Sandy from Grease to the rest of the world, but to Chloe Rose Lattanzi, Oliva Newton-John was "Mom."
The 36-year-old was born to parents Olivia Newton-John and actor Matt Lattanzi in Los Angeles, California.
While her parents divorced in 1995, Lattanzi has been lucky in love.
She runs a legal cannabis farm in Oregon with her fiancé James Driskill, to who she's been engaged since 2010.
- Carsen Holaday
Dedication to finding the cure
Throughout her journey, the Australian star contributed to finding a cure for cancer- she even had a hospital named Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, raising funds for it.
"I’m very excited to fund research, to look into treating people in a kinder way," Olivia told Closer Weekly back in 2021.
She added: "After having lived for years with different cancers and having surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, I thought it would be wonderful if we could find different kinds of treatments for people going through cancer.
"I’ve been lucky enough to be married to an amazing man, 'Amazon' John [Easterling], who’s a plant medicine man. So I’ve taken a lot of plant medicine over the last years and have done well."
"We want to raise money to fund the studies on plant medicine," Olivia concluded.
- Carsen Holaday
'Part of life'
During her CBS interview with Gayle King, Olivia admitted she would "try not" to think about death.
She confessed: "I mean, it's part of life. And, of course, if you have a cancer diagnosis, your death is kind of there.
"Whereas most people, we don't have a clue when we're gonna die. And I could die tomorrow – a tree could fall on me. So, it's just that we have that knowledge that we could die.
"But I try not to think about it too much, but I try to mediate and be peaceful about it, and know that everyone I love is there, so there's something to look forward to."
- Carsen Holaday
Response to cancer spread
In 2013, Olivia learned her cancer had spread to her back.
Despite the heartbreaking turn of events, the Grease star revealed her mindset at the time.
She told CBS: "Why me? has never been a part of it. But I never felt victimized. I never felt, 'Why not?' Maybe deep down I knew there was a reason or a purpose for it.
"Or maybe I needed to create one to make it okay for myself. Because, again, it's a decision – How am I gonna deal with it? You choose."
Olivia would fight once again, and eventually, the cancer went into remission before returning in 2017 – and this time the star was told by doctors it was stage four.
According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate of people with stage 4 breast cancer is 28 percent."
- Carsen Holaday
Olivia's first diagnosis
Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 when she was just 43 years old as doctors discovered a malignant tumor in her right breast.
The star received her devastating diagnosis on the same day she learned her father had passed away.
"I had a daughter, I had a child to care about," Olivia recalled during an interview with CBS This Morning in 2019.
"… That was my focus. You know, 'I've gotta get through this for her.'"
Olivia's daughter Chloe- who she shared with Matt Lattanzi- was just 13 at the time. The Hollywood legend would undergo a mastectomy and chemotherapy, eventually being declared cancer free.
- Carsen Holaday
Final post
Just days before her death at age 73, Olivia Newton-John shared a heartbreaking final post with her husband, John Easterling.
The photo was shared on August 5, just three days before Newton-John's tragic passing.
Captioned "#FlashbackFriday" with a heart emoji, the photo shows the Grease star with her husband, John Easterling.
The two met in 2005 and wed in 2008, following her first marriage to Matt Lattanzi.
- Carsen Holaday
Physical was almost 'too raunchy'
Due to the Physical's 11-week run at number one, Billboard named it the biggest song of the decade.
Olivia told EW of the track's popularity, which was originally written for Rod Stewart: "Roger Davies was my manager at the time; he played it for me and I knew it was a very catchy song!
"I wasn’t actually aware at the time that it was written for Rod Stewart. I must talk with him about it one day. Like, did he ever hear it?
The late superstar shared: "I recorded it and then suddenly thought, 'Goodness, maybe I’ve gone too far!'
"It was a bit raunchier than I realized. I was horrified! I called Roger and said, 'We’ve got to pull this song!'
"He said, 'It’s too late. It’s already gone to radio and it’s running up the charts.'
- Carsen Holaday
Olivia's rise to fame
Born on September 26, 1948, Olivia Newton-John was an Australian actress, singer, and activist from Cambridge, England.
During the 1970s, Olivia rose to prominence by starring in the 1978 musical film Grease and singing the hit songs from the movie's soundtrack.
Alongside co-stars John Travolta and Stockard Channing, she sang the music numbers Summer Nights, You're The One That I Want, and Hopelessly Devoted To You.
Summer Nights and Hopelessly Devoted To You made earned Olivia the recognition of being the second female artist ever to have two songs in the top five of the Billboard charts – the first was Linda Ronstadt.
- Carsen Holaday
British star pays tribute
Piers Morgan said: "So sad to hear the fabulously gutsy, warm & talented Olivia Newton-John has died.
"At an auction of her Grease memorabilia in LA three years ago, she told me her favorite song from the movie was Hopelessly Devoted To You.
"Great song, great film, great lady. RIP."
- Carsen Holaday
Dionne Warwick remembers 'angelic voice'
Singer Dionne Warwick wrote: "Another angelic voice has been added to the Heavenly Choir.
"Not only was Olivia a dear friend, but one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of recording and performing with.
"I will most definitely miss her. She now Rests in the Arms of the Heavenly Father."
- Carsen Holaday
Grease director mourns
Grease director Randal Kleiser, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m Heartbroken. She was one of a kind, and so very kind.
"For over four decades of our friendship she exuded nothing but love to everyone she met.
"Olivia was exactly the way you imagined her. I will miss her forever.”
- Carsen Holaday
Olivia's daughter grieves
Hours after the Grease star's death was announced, her heartbroken daughter Chloe Lattanzi, 36, posted a gallery of photos on Instagram without a caption.
The photos included throwback pictures from the musician's childhood, along with more recent photos of the duo together.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanziofficial)
- Sophie Gable
Olivia's battle with breast cancer
In May 2017, Olivia had announced her breast cancer had metastasized to the sacrum and would have to undergo radiation therapy.
Her husband told People at the time, "We both have the same unshakable belief that she's going to have a wonderful success story,"
Olivia had battled breast cancer for 30 years which led to her activism, the establishment of her foundation, and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
- Sophie Gable
George Takei pays tribute to the star
George Takei took to Twitter to express his sorrow for the loss of the '70s pop star.
The Star Trek actor said of Olivia, "Know that we are forever hopelessly devoted to you," a reference to her hit pop song.
- Sophie Gable
Olivia's chart-topping songs
Olivia's five number one hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 made her a beloved pop star in the 1970s.
Her single "If Not For You" put her on the map followed by her second hit "Let Me Be There."
Olivia was also nominated for a Grammy for her hit "Have You Never Been Mellow."
The songs she sang on the Grease Soundtrack earned her multiple spots on the pop charts as well.
- Sophie Gable
'Your Danny, Your John!'
John Travolta's touching tribute post has fans gushing over the co-stars' decades-long friendship.
One fan commented, "So sweet and kind words! A beautiful friendship."
Another fan added, "There will only be one Sandy and Danny."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by John Travolta (@johntravolta)
- Sophie Gable
Olivia's battle with breast cancer
Olivia was treated for breast cancer in 1992 and then announced in 2017 that it had returned, according to The Washington Post's Instagram account.
She kept her battle with cancer private for many years but was still an active advocate for the cause.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)
- Sophie Gable
Remembered for chart-topping hits in the '70s and '80s
Olivia won several awards in the 70s and 80s for her four records that sold more than two million copies each.
"I Honestly Love You" won two Grammys for record of the year and best pop female performance.
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