Olivia Newton-John posted a heartwarming Instagram post just days before she died at the age of 73 after a year-long battle with breast cancer.
The actress died peacefully at her home in Southern California this morning surrounded by family and friends. Her husband John Easterling announced her death on her Facebook page.
‘Dame Olivia Newton-John, 73, died peacefully this morning at her Southern California ranch surrounded by family and friends.
“We ask everyone to respect the privacy of the family at this very difficult time.
“A symbol of triumph and hope for over 30 years, Olivia shares her journey with breast cancer.
Just days before her death, she shared a photo on social media sitting next to her husband, John.
It was captioned “#flashbackfriday”.
Australian singer Delta Goodrem was one of the first to comment on the post.
“So beautiful,” she wrote.
Just days before her death, Olivia Newton-John shared a heartwarming photo on Instagram with her husband, John Easterling
Olivia Newton-John, left, during one of her final public appearances of 2019. The actress died Monday at the age of 73. She is shown on the right in her most iconic role in Grease in 1978
Newton-John’s husband announced her death on her Facebook page on Monday. She was 73
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in the legendary 1978 film Grease that catapulted their careers. He was among the first to pay tribute to her on Monday
John Travolta was among the first to pay tribute to Newton-John on Instagram. Their performance together catapulted their careers in 1978
Among the first to pay tribute to her on Monday was John Travolta, her co-star in Grease – the 1978 film that catapulted her career.
“My dearest Olivia, you have made all of our lives so much better. Her impact was incredible. I love you so much. See you on the street and we’ll all be together again.
“From the moment I saw you, yours and forever! Your Danny, your John!’ he said in an Instagram post.
The family asked for donations to their cancer charity, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, in lieu of flowers.
She is survived by her 36-year-old daughter Chloe Lattanzi and her siblings.
He did not confirm the cause of death.
Chloe posted a loving tribute to her mother on Instagram three days ago. “I adore this woman. My mother. My best friend,’ she said.
The actress famously beat breast cancer twice but was re-diagnosed in 2017.
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 worrying about when it’ll come back, but I thought, “I’ll get through it one more time”.
In other interviews, when asked how she battled the disease so bravely, she said: “I’ve had and still have an amazing life, so I have no complaints.
“I really don’t. Everyone goes through something. We all have something we have to go through in life. That was my challenge.”
Born in England to an MI5 agent father, Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was six. She returned to the UK as a teenager to pursue a singing career and performed in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
Her big break in Grease came four years later. She famously resisted the role, initially turning down producer Allan Carr because she thought she was too old for the role.
When the film was released it was an instant international hit and she became a global sex symbol.
Newton-John’s death was announced by her husband John Easterling on her Facebook page on Monday
Olivia Newton-John’s home in Southern California where she died peacefully today surrounded by her family
Newton-John defended her transition from cute to sexy for years to come and amid a spate of criticism during the #MeToo movement.
‘It’s a movie. It’s a story from the 50’s when things were different. Everyone forgets that in the end he changes for them too.
“There is nothing deep about the #MeToo movement. It’s just a girl who loves a guy and she thinks if she does that he’ll like her.
‘And he thinks if he does, she’ll like him. I think that’s pretty real. people do this for each other. It was a funny love story.’
Riding a wave of Grease success, she pounded her newfound status as a sex symbol with Physical, her top-selling album and single, released in 1981.
It was dedicated to her first, Matt Lattanzi, to whom she was married from 1984 to 1995.
After Grease, Newton-John’s acting career stalled. She appeared alongside Lattanzi in the 1980 film Xanadu, which failed to impress at the box office.
She took three years off work after the birth of her daughter in 1986 and was hit by her first cancer diagnosis in 1992 at the age of 44.
Newton-John’s iconic transformation from cute to sexy was recreated in costumes and tributes for years to come
Newton-John famously rebelled against the role of Sandy in the 1978 film Grease. She was 28 at the time and thought she was too old to play a freshman high school girl
Newton-John (left) represented Britain in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, four years before he starred in Grease. She is shown singing (right) in 1980