‘Grease’ Star Olivia Newton-John Dies at 73

in Entertainment, Movies & TV

olivia newton-john grease

Credit: Paramount

According to a post made on her verified Facebook account, actress and Grammy-winning recording artist Olivia Newton-John, best known for her role in Grease, has passed away peacefully at home at the age of 73.

Olivia Newton-John
Credit: Facebook

The Facebook post, which was posted by her husband, reads:

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. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org).

Olivia is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall.

– via John Easterling, husband, Olivia Newton-John

Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, the same weekend her father passed away according to an interview with the Breast Cancer Foundation Susan G. Komen.

“Treatment lasted nearly a year. It was difficult, but I focused on staying positive,” she told the interviewer. “I’ve been free of it for five years now.”

She maintained that the diagnosis gave her a new lease on life, allowing her to wake up each day feeling grateful and unafraid.

That was until a car accident in 2013 would result in further cancer findings in her shoulder, and a 2018 announcement that her “stage 4 breast cancer had spread to her back with a tumor at the base of her spine,” per her sit-down with the Today Show.

In her professional life, Olivia was best known for her role as Sandy Olsson opposite John Travolta (Danny Zuko) in the musical blockbuster Grease (1978.) She also has more than two dozen released studio albums containing performances that have won her multiple Grammy Awards.

She was also a member of the Disney community, known for her role as Amy Miller in A Mom for Christmas (1990) and for her cover of  “When You Wish Upon a Star” on her fourteenth studio album Warm and Tender (1989.)

In her personal life, Olivia was a mother, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a survivor, and an advocate. Her non-profit, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, sponsored global plant medicine research to further expand treatment options for cancer.

“These investments in new scientific research will educate patients and their caregivers about kinder options for treating cancer,” the website mission reads. “We are committed to realizing a world beyond cancer.”

Her legacy will live on through her profound impact on the entertainment industry, through her loving family and friends, and through her extensive, decades long work towards improving the lives of those touched by cancer.

 

We send our condolences to Olivia Newton-John’s family, friends, colleagues, and fans during this difficult time.

 

in Entertainment, Movies & TV

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