Today entertainment editor Richard Wilkins has played a heart-warming voice message Olivia Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi left him after he was overcome with emotion during a tribute to the late Australian star on live TV.
The Grease actress and singer died “peacefully” at her ranch in Southern California earlier this week following a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
“Chloe Lattanzi, Olivia’s daughter, sent me a beautiful message earlier today, which I played and cried again,” Wilkins said on the Today show on Wednesday.
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“And I said to her, ‘I would never do it without your permission. Would you like me to share your beautiful message with her many friends and fans on-air?’
“And she said, ‘Yes, please. Tell them how much their love is helping me cope. I want to be a link for them. Give light, give thanks, gratitude. I’m holding you in my heart’.”
In the voicemail message Ms Lattanzi said: “Hi Richard, this is Chloe, I just saw your beautiful tribute to my mummy.”
“I just wanted to hold you. I saw how much you loved her and I just want you to know she’s free now and out of pain and all the family is here together.
“She’s making the sun shine and the dogs are running around and smiling and the horses are galloping.
“I just want you to know that she’s free from pain now and she fought so hard and I was with her every step of the way.
“I just felt your love. Mummy and I both cared about you – care about you so much.
“I love you my friend, thank you for doing that.”
Wilkins, who was a close friend of Newton John, fought back tears as he paid tribute to the entertainment icon on Tuesday.
After airing a segment of his last interview with her, Wilkins was left unable to speak as he struggled to hold his emotions in.
Today co-host Karl Stefanovic got up from his seat to give him a hug as he grabbed a handful of tissues.
“It’s alright,” Stefanovic said, as he gave Wilkins a hug.
“She touched everyone, didn’t she? Even through a Zoom call, whether it was someone in a hospital, someone on the boardwalks of Hollywood who didn’t even know her that well, that depth of feeling, this woman was extraordinary. “
“Well, I’m still numb,” Wilkins said. “I’ve got nothing more to say.”
Lattanzi, who is Newton-John’s only child, paid tribute to her mother on Instagram just days after the news of her death was announced.
The 36-year-old singer said her mother was her “lighthouse”, her “safe place” and her “heart space”.
“It has been an honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and your best friend.
“You are an angel on earth and everyone touched by you has been blessed. I love you forever my life giver, my teacher, my mama.”
Newton-John died surrounded by her close friends and family.
Olivia Newton-John’s husband has posted a tribute to the “most courageous woman” he has ever known, following the death of the Australian singer and Grease star earlier this week.
Key points:
John Easterling remembered the love he shared with Olivia Newton-John as “so deep, so real” and “so natural”
The pair started dating when Newton-John was 59 and were together for 16 years
The American businessman was the Grease actor’s second husband
John Easterling announced on Tuesday that Newton-John passed away at the age of 73 at her ranch in California “surrounded by family and friends” after a battle with breast cancer.
On Thursday, Australian time, Mr Easterling reflected on his love with Newton-John on a post on the actor’s official Instagram.
“Our love for each other transcends our understanding,” the American businessman wrote.
“Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural. We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever.”
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Mr Easterling is the founder of the American Herb Company, and spent years in the Amazon rainforest studying plants with potential health benefits.
Newton-John was 58 when she started dating Mr Easterling in 2006, a year after the death of her former boyfriend Patrick McDermott disappeared at sea.
They married two years later.
She was formerly married from 1984 to 1995 to Matt Lattanzi, with whom she shared a daughter, Chloe.
Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling were married for 14 years.(Reuters: Gus Ruelas)
In the post, Mr Easterling said his wife was generous and spirited, with a passion for life.
“At Olivia’s deepest essence she was a healer using her mediums of song, of words, of touch,” he wrote.
“She was the most courageous woman I’ve ever known.
“Her bandwidth for genuinely caring for people, for nature and all creatures almost eclipses what is humanely possible. It is only the grace of God that has allowed me to share the depth and passion of her being for so long.
“In her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humor, and the will power to move things into the light.
“Even now as her soul soars, the pain and holes in my heart are healed with the joy of her love and the light that shines forward.
“Our family deeply appreciates the vast ocean of love and support that has come our way.”
Newton-John’s niece, Totti Goldsmith, told Channel 9 on Wednesday that the British-Australian actor would be buried in California.
She the family intended to accept a state memorial if the Victorian government offered one.
The family of Australian icon Olivia Newton-John is still in talks with the Victorian government about how the state will honor the late singer.
Key points:
Newton-John died on Monday at her ranch in southern California
Messages posted to her official social media accounts said the 73-year-old “passed away peacefully” surrounded by friends and family
Her niece flagged on Tuesday that the family would accept a state funeral
Newton-John, best known for her role as Sandy in the 1978 classic Grease, died on Monday, local time, at her ranch in southern California.
She had been diagnosed with cancer.
When asked during a press conference on Tuesday whether he would consider offering the family a state funeral, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he wanted to speak with them, citing Newton-John’s “amazing” contributions.
“I was honored to meet Olivia Newton-John on many different occasions, particularly in connection with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre,” Mr Andrews said.
“An absolutely supreme talent, a person of grace, a person of such energy and vitality.
“She took her cancer journey and used that to save lives and change lives.”
On Wednesday a spokesperson for the Premier said they were still talking to the family and no formal offer of a service had been made yet.
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in an iconic scene from Grease.(Paramount Pictures)
Newton-John’s daughter Totti Goldsmith told Nine’s A Current Affair program on Tuesday the family would accept an offer of a state funeral.
“I think Australia needs it,” Goldsmith said.
Landmarks turn pink for Newton-John
Buildings at Melbourne’s arts center were bathed in a pink glow in memory of Olivia Newton-John.(ABC News: Simon Tucci)
Born in the UK, Newton-John moved to the Victorian capital as a child.
The performer was a tireless campaigner for breast cancer research during her lifetime, having been diagnosed with the disease herself.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center continues to operate at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne’s east.
Last night, landmarks including Flinders Street Station and the Melbourne Cricket Ground turned pink in honor of Newton-John’s legacy.
The star moved to Melbourne as a child.(ABC News: Joseph Dunstan)
Visit ABC iview for our Remembering Olivia Newton-John collection.
Dame Olivia Newton-John, British-born Australian singer and star of hit musical Grease, has died following a long battle with breast cancer.
Key points:
Olivia Newton-John played Sandy in the hit film Grease
Husband John Easterling announced her death via social media
She won multiple awards over a five-decade career
Messages posted to her official social media accounts said the 73-year-old “passed away peacefully” at her ranch in southern California surrounded by family and friends.
She won multiple Grammy awards over a five-decade-long career and was well known for her role as Sandy in the film Grease.
On her official Facebook page, husband John Easterling described Newton-John as a “symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.”
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“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer,” he wrote.
The entertainer is survived by her husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi.
Newton-John had early success through the song Let Me Be There, which won her a Grammy.
Her most famous records included the Record of the Year Grammy winner I Honestly Love You and Physical.
However, Newton-John’s career soared after she starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease as Sandy alongside John Travolta in 1978.
The soundtrack would spend 12 non-consecutive weeks at number 1, with Newton-John becoming the second woman to have two singles – Hopelessly Devoted to You and Summer Nights – in the Billboard top-five simultaneously.
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in an iconic scene from the musical Grease.(Paramount Pictures)
The fast-stepping Travolta-Newton-John duet You’re the One That I Want was one of the era’s biggest songs and has sold more than 15 million copies.
Grease co-star John Travolta posted a tribute to Newton-John on social media.
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better,” Travolta said.
“Your impact was incredible. I love you so much.
“We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!”
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From 1973-83, Newton-John was among the world’s most popular entertainers.
Physical, the bouncy, R-rated smash released in 1981, was Number 1 for 10 weeks and was named Billboard’s song of the year despite being banned by some radio stations.
An aerobics-friendly promotional clip, filmed in the early years of MTV, won a Grammy for best video.
Private life and charity
Olivia Newton-John established the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in her hometown of Melbourne.(Getty Images/WireImage: Sam Tabone)
She had a few hits after Physical, but her career declined and Newton-John became more likely to make the news because of her private life.
In 1992, as she was preparing a concert tour, her father died and she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her marriage to actor Matt Lattanzi, with whom she had a daughter, actor-singer Chloe Lattanzi, broke up in 1995 and a years-long relationship with cameraman Patrick McDermott ended mysteriously when he went missing on a fishing trip in 2005.
Olivia Newton-John and her husband John Easterling were married in 2008.(Reuters: Gus Ruelas)
“He was lost at sea, and nobody really knows what happened,” Newton-John told Nine’s 60 Minutes in 2016.
“It’s human to wonder. But you know, those are the things in life you have to accept and let go. Because whenever you go through difficult times, there’s always those concerns.”
Newton-John’s recent albums included Stronger Than Before, a collaboration with Travolta, This Christmas and the autobiographical Gaia: One Woman’s Journey.
The latter was inspired by her battle with cancer and by the loss of her father.
Newton-John married John Easterling, founder of the Amazon Herb Company, in 2008.
Olivia Newton-John officially opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Institute in 2014.(AAP: James Braund)
She was involved in numerous charitable causes, serving as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.
Newton-John, whose sister died of brain cancer, became an advocate after her first bout with breast cancer and she established the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in her hometown of Melbourne.
She also marketed what was known as the Olivia Breast Self-Exam Kit.
John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John performed at the Fire Fight Australia bushfire in 2020.(AAP Image: Joel Carrett)
Newton-John was the daughter of German literature professor Brin Newton-John and Irene Bron, whose father was Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Bron.
The family moved to Australia when Olivia was five, but she returned to England in her teens and lived with her mother after her parents broke up.
She had early dreams of becoming a veterinarian but was winning singing contests in high school and before age 20 had toured army bases and clubs and recorded her first single, Till You Say You’ll Be Mine.
Olivia Newton-John was born in the UK but moved to Australia when she was five. (Getty Images/WireImage: Chris Walter)
Olivia Newton-John was made a dame in the Queen’s New Year honors list in 2019.
She received the honor for her services to charity, cancer research and entertainment.
At the time Newton-John said: “I am extremely excited, honored and grateful beyond words to be included with such an esteemed group of women who have received this distinguished award before me.
“As a girl born in Cambridge, I am very proud of my British ancestry and so appreciative to be recognized in this way by the United Kingdom.”
When Newton-John beat out Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn for the Country Music Association’s top artist of 1973, Tammy Wynette helped founded the Association of Country Entertainers, a club designed to exclude Newton-John and other crossover performers.
But Newton-John had a show business admirer who with her became one of movies’ most unforgettable teams.
Olivia Newton-John went on to have several smash hits from Grease top the charts. (Paramount Pictures)
Travolta had starred in the stage version of Grease and for the planned film thought Newton-John would be the “ultimate” Sandy, the nice girl who gets tough in the final act and gets her man.
“I worried that at 29 I was too old to play a high school girl,” Newton-John told The Telegraph in 2017.
“Everything about making the film was fun, but if I had to pick a favorite moment, it was the transformation from what I call Sandy 1 to Sandy 2.
“I got to play a different character and wear different clothes, and when I put on that tight black outfit to sing ‘You’re the One That I Want,’ I got a very different reaction from the guys on the set.”
Olivia Newton-John said in later interviews she thought she may have been too old to play Sandy in Grease. (Paramount Pictures)
In the film, set in the 1950s, Newton-John’s prim Sandy has a summer fling with Danny, the “greaser” portrayed by Travolta, but the relationship falls apart because of their cultural differences.
In the end they reconcile as their roles reverse, with Danny cleaning up his act and Sandy making a striking appearance in a tight black leather outfit.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Miles told the ABC it was a “really sad day for Australia.”
“I think for people of my generation who grew up with Grease… it’s one of these moments when you feel like an era has come to an end, and the world is a little emptier,” he said.
“But, we all grew up watching Olivia Newton-John, and it’s hard to imagine that she’s no longer with us.”
