Olivia Newton-John: From "Grease" stardom to a determined battle
She fought the disease for a long time. Olivia Newton-John, star of the musical "Grease," passed away in August 2022, aged 73. For 12 years, she believed her beloved was dead, although he had ultimately faked his own disappearance.
She started modestly but quickly gained recognition in music and film, achieving international fame thanks to her role as Sandy in the 1978 musical "Grease".
Olivia Newton-John was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge, United Kingdom, the daughter of Brinley "Bryn" Newton-John, an MI6 officer who worked on breaking the Enigma code and was involved in the arrest of Rudolf Hess. Her grandfather, Max Born, received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
She passed away on 8 August 2022 at her ranch in Southern California, surrounded by family and friends.
Her partner disappeared under mysterious circumstances
"Grease" was a breakthrough in Olivia's career. Her duet with John Travolta went down in history, and songs like "You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" topped the charts. Olivia received Oscar and Grammy nominations. In 1981, she released the album "Physical," which became her biggest 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.
The next 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 later turned out that he likely faked his death and was living a happy life in Mexico.
As reported by the "Daily Mail", McDermott was declared dead, although none of the 22 passengers on the fishing boat saw him fall overboard. Some believe he is hiding to avoid paying child support to his ex-wife, Yvette Nipar, to whom he owed over 7,000 pounds at the time.
The star of "Grease" found happiness and love alongside her second husband, John Easterling, an activist, businessman, founder, and president of the Amazon Herb Company.
Battle with cancer
The biggest fight in Olivia's life, however, was with cancer. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, when her career was at its peak.
Although she initially managed to overcome it, the disease returned in 2013 and then again in 2017, when it metastasized to her bones.
Her beloved John supported her in the fight against the disease. He was an immense support to her during the hardest times and through the third recurrence of the cancer.
Thanks to Easterling, she did not envisage a bleak outcome but looked to the future with hope.
