Olivia Newton-John's journey: Fame, heartbreak, and resilience
She fought illness for a long time. Olivia Newton-John, the star of the musical "Grease," passed away in August 2022 at the age of 73. For 12 years she believed that her beloved was dead, although he ultimately faked his disappearance.
12:03 PM EDT, September 26, 2024
She started modestly but quickly gained recognition in the music and film worlds, achieving international fame thanks to her role as Sandy in the 1978 musical Grease.
Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, United Kingdom, to Brinley "Bryn" Newton-John, an MI6 officer who worked on breaking the Enigma code and participated in the arrest of Rudolf Hess. Her grandfather, Max Born, received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
She passed away on August 8, 2022, on her ranch in Southern California, surrounded by family and friends.
her partner disappeared under mysterious circumstances
"Grease" was a turning point in Olivia's career. Her duet with John Travolta made history, and songs like "You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" topped the charts. Olivia received nominations for Academy Awards and Grammy Awards. In 1981, she released the album "Physical," which became her greatest commercial success.
Despite her successes on stage, Olivia's personal life was not without painful experiences. In 1984, she married British actor Matt Lattanzi, with whom she had a daughter, Chloe Rose. Their marriage ended in 1995.
Another important man in her life was Patrick McDermott, a cameraman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances during a fishing trip off the coast of California.
The actress believed for 12 years that Patrick McDermott was dead. It turned out that he had likely faked his death and was living a happy life in Mexico.
According to the "Daily Mail," the man was presumed dead despite none of the 22 passengers on the fishing boat seeing him fall overboard. Some claim he is hiding to avoid paying alimony to his ex-wife, Yvette Nipar, to whom he owed over $9,000 at that time.
The star of the musical "Grease" found happiness and love alongside her second husband, John Easterling. He is an activist, businessman, founder, and president of Amazon Herb Company.
Battle with cancer
The biggest battle in Olivia's life was with cancer. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, when her career was at its peak.
Although she initially managed to defeat it, the disease returned in 2013 and then again in 2017, when it had metastasized to her bones.
Her beloved John supported her in the fight against the illness. He was an enormous support for her during the most challenging times and the third recurrence of cancer.
Thanks to Easterling, she did not assume a worst-case scenario but looked to the future with hope.
