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Olivia Newton-John’s first husband, Matt Lattanzi, married their former babysitter

Olivia Newton-John's first husband, Matt Lattanzi, married their former babysitter

Late entertainment icon Olivia Newton-John once spoke of her desire to keep her marriage to John Easterling private, but before the couple’s fairytale romance came to be, the actress’ tumultuous love life was often plastered across the headlines.

Newton-John, who died on Tuesday at 73 after a long battle with cancer, her husband of 14 years and daughter Chloe Lattanzi by her side, had once gushed about how lucky she was to find the “the love of her life” at 59 .

It came after the mysterious disappearance of her ex-partner of nine years, and divorce from her first husband, Matt Lattanzi, Chloe’s father, which ended with him dating and then marrying the couple’s former babysitter Cindy Jessup — a detail many believed to have shattered Newton-John.

But the actress insisted it never bothered her – and today Jessup paid loving tribute to Newton-John in an interview with the Daily Mail.

‘The world has lost a true angel. Olivia cared so deeply about people and the planet. She was such a force for goodness, always helping others,” Jessup told the outlet.

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Inside Olivia Newton-John’s first marriage

The chemistry was instant when Newton-John and Lattanzi first met on the set of 1980 musical film Xanaduwhere Lattanzi, then 20, was hired as a dancer and Newton-John, then 31, was starring as Greek muse Kira.

Four years later they wed, welcoming their daughter, Chloe Rose, in January 1986.

Tragedy struck in 1992 when the couple faced Newton-John’s first cancer battle together, with the star’s neece Tottie Goldsmith revealing he was “so supportive” of her.

However, just three years later, in 1995, the couple announced their divorce.

They managed to stay friends, despite Lattanzi, who was 40 at the time, moving on with the family’s babysitter Cindy Jessup, then 23, two years after they split.

The couple had hired Jessup in 1993 to help look after Chloe while Lattanzi was working on Aussie soap Paradise Beachand she quickly became part of the family.

A friend told reporters at the time of Jessup and Lattanzi’s 1997 wedding that Newton-John was “delighted” they had struck up a romance.

“It looks bad, because Cindy would often babysit his daughter and she was a friend of his and Olivia’s – but in those days there was no romance.”

Olivia blamed her cancer diagnosis for split

Newton-John later attributed the marriage breakdown partly to her cancer diagnosis.

While she admitted going through a divorce was “painful”, true to form, she held no ill will against Lattanzi for his marriage to Jessup.

“I think our marriage would have eventually come to an end, but it happened sooner because of the cancer, which was a good thing” she told the Daily Mail.

“It was very painful, but we were never at odds with each other.

“What happened between us was between us, and we wouldn’t allow it to affect (Chloe).”

She added: “Divorce is never all right. Everybody wants the happy ending and the white picket fence, particularly me.”

It seems that wish finally came true when Newton-John met natural-health businessman John Easterling, who she described as “the love of her life.”

“I have a wonderful, beautiful husband who is just so loving and fantastic,” she said after their low-key wedding in 2008.

“I always tell my friends you’re never too old to find love. I found the love of my life at 59 going on 60! I’m grateful.”

Matt Lattanzi went on to marry again

As for Lattanzi, it was not to last with Jessup, with the couple splitting after 10 years of marriage in 2007.

He married once more, and now runs a medicinal cannabis farm with third wife Michelle Lattanzi, who is currently in remission from colon cancer first diagnosed in 2014.

It seems the exes’ values ​​aligned later in life, given Newton-John was passionate about ensuring medicinal marijuana was more widely available for cancer patients to manage pain.

Paying tribute to her husband’s ex-wife on Facebook on Tuesday, Michelle Lattanzi said the world had lost an icon.

“Today we lost one of the world’s greats Olivia Newton-John,” she posted on behalf of the couple.

“Matt and I are so overwhelmed with the love and gratitude shared with us by friends, family and a deeply loving community of fans who will all miss Olivia’s presence in this world.

“I have heard truly lovely stories and memories from people near and far, and honor in each of you where those feelings and memories come from.

“Nothing will replace the icon we lost, yet her legacy is alive and well in our hearts and memories, as well as her contributions to our global culture, her beloved daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and her cancer research and wellness center in Melbourne.

“Please honor your sadness, and then celebrate the joy that Olivia’s heart and lifetime achievements endowed in our world.

“Sending all kinds of love.”

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Daniel Andrews’ Olivia Newton-John Gaffe

Daniel Andrews' Olivia Newton-John Gaffe

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has made an awkward gaffe while posting a tweet announcing a state memorial service for Olivia Newton-John that missed her name.

The iconic Australian singer, who starred in the hit musical Grease, died aged 73 at her home in southern California on Monday, after a long battle with breast cancer.

Ms Newton-John’s death triggered an outpouring of heartfelt condolences from celebrities and fans all over the world and prompted Mr Andrews to offer her family a state memorial service for the star.

“I’m so pleased that Olivia Newton-John’s family have accepted our offer of a State Memorial Service,” Mr Andrews’ official account tweeted.

The spelling error, in which an extra “w” was added to “Newton”, was quickly pointed out by followers who accused the premier of making the service about himself instead of honoring Ms Newton-John.

“It’s Newton NOT Newtown. With the amount we pay for your PR team they could get the spelling right,” one person wrote.

“Her name was Olivia NEWTON John. You’re absolutely embarrassing,” another posted.

Several Twitter users claimed that the error was disrespectful because it allegedly showed a lack of attention to detail.

“At least have the respect to spell her name correctly,” one wrote.

Olivia Newton-John. With respect Premier, please be mindful of the correct spelling,” another advised.

And: “You can’t even get her name right. So much for respect.”

Earlier, Mr Andrews said he spoke to Ms Newton-John’s niece, former Neighbors star, Tottie Goldsmith to discuss plans.

“I can update that I’ve spoken with Tottie Goldsmith this morning and she, on behalf of the family, have accepted my offer of a state service,” he said.

“This will be much more of a concert than a funeral, I think it will be a celebration of such a rich and generous life.

“As I said the other day, Olivia Newton-John was a very special person and to take her cancer journey and to turn that into more research, better treatment, better care and this focus on wellness, is such an amazing legacy and that’s why I think we all feel the pain of her passing.”

Mr Andrews said the family was touched by the Australian public’s outpouring of grief following Ms Newton-John’s death.

“There will be further discussions, those discussions have started today, but there will be further discussions in my department and the family about what’s appropriate,” he said.

“I think giving Melburnians and Victorians and indeed people who travel from other parts of the country and maybe even the world to be here to celebrate such an important, rich and generous life — that was the right thing to do.”

“And I must say, it’s very clear to me the family were quite touched by the prospect of Victorians being able to come together and celebrate Olivia’s life.”

The British-born actor and singer, who moved to Melbourne aged six, identified as Australian and became a devoted advocate for cancer research.

Her family will hold a private funeral for Ms Newton-John in the US – where she has lived for decades.

She is survived by husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi.

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Olivia Newton-John’s husband John Easterling posts Instagram tribute to Grease star

Olivia Newton-John's husband John Easterling posts Instagram tribute to Grease star

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.

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.

A man and a woman in formal wear smile as they stand together and pose outside an event.
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.

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Olivia Newton-John in flashback photo with Daryl Braithwaite

Olivia Newton-John in flashback photo with Daryl Braithwaite

What are the odds that two of Australia’s biggest music stars attended the same primary school together?

A school photo of the late Olivia Newton-John alongside horses hit maker Daryl Braithwaite has emerged, unearthing the little-known fact the duo attended school together.

Braithwaite, 73, shared the black-and-white class photo taken at Christ Church Grammar School in Melbourne in 1961 – some 15 years before Newton-John shot to global superstardom on grease.

“This is a lovely shot to look back at when Olivia was at (school) with all her friends back in 1961. Olivia is 2nd from the right and 3rd row from the bottom,” Braithwaite wrote.

He added: “She also loved all animals and was a beautiful soul who left a legacy that will last forever.”

Braithwaite has previously opened up about how the duo were briefly “boyfriend and girlfriend” while attending school, before Newton-John moved to London in her teens.

“She was one of the prettiest girls in the class, (we were) 11 or 12 I think,” he told The Morning Show in 2017.

“I don’t know how, we must have sat next to each other and thought, ‘Oh yeah that’s good’ and we were talking and then we held hands and then it was over.”

He further opened up about the pair being school sweethearts in an interview with now to lovein 2020.

“Olivia won’t mind saying that we did start out as boyfriend and girlfriend back when we were around 12 or 13 at the most,” he said.

“We held hands and we were in the same class. But then it all disintegrated. I think she left and went to England. I never actually knew that she could sing at the time.”

At the time, Braithwaite said the old friends were still connecting all these years later.

“It is one of those friendships where there was a decade, or maybe more, where we didn’t speak to each other, mainly because we were too busy or whatever, but over the last year or so I have made more contact with her than ever before, and she is lovely, she really is,” he said.

Newton-John died at her ranch in California on Tuesday aged 73, after a decades-long battle with breast cancer.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. It went into remission but reappeared in 2013 and then again in 2017. At one point she said she was partly in “denial” about the disease, because if she dwelled upon it too much it would mean she wouldn’t “enjoy life”.

Her family, including husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi, have accepted Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ offer of a state funeral to honor her legacy and celebrate her life.

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Vanessa Amorosi stops Sunrise interview after Olivia Newton-John’s death

Vanessa Amorosi stops Sunrise interview after Olivia Newton-John's death

Australian singer Vanessa Amorosi appeared overcome with emotion and had to bow out of her live interview on Sunrise this morning, having only just learned of the death of Olivia Newton-John.

Amorosi was booked to appear on the program to discuss her new single, having just performed at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

But with Newton-John’s death aged 73 after a long cancer battle being the biggest news of the morning, Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and David Koch were keen to first ask Amorosi about her memories of the star.

“It is an incredibly sad day – Vanessa, what are your memories?” Barr asked as they crossed to the Aussie singer in Birmingham.

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“Uh… I don’t know. I don’t particularly want to think about it, because I’ll get very emotional,” Amorosi began. “I just literally had one of the highest endorphins that just happened out there (at the closing ceremony), to being extremely sad coming offstage and checking my phone. I don’t think I’ve really processed it yet.”

Koch said he’d give Amorosi a chance to “compose” her thoughts about the late music legend, and changed tack to discuss her Commonwealth Games performance and new single.

A few minutes later, and with the interview nearing its end, the hosts moved the topic of conversation back to Olivia Newton-John.

“We know it’s a sad day for you and so many people, but we wanted to show this photo from quite a few years ago of you, Olivia Newton-John and Tina Arena,” Barr said, as a photo of the three Aussie singers at the Sydney 2000 Olympics appeared on screen.

“Can you talk us through those memories, that time, Vanessa?”
Amorosi gave it her best – but soon became overcome with emotion.

“Both of these women I have looked up to since (I was) a kid… I don’t know. I’m actually very sad about Olivia, to be honest. It’s..”

With that, she bowed her head and raised her hand, signaling the interview to stop.

Barr and Koch thanked her for her time – and Barr noted how hard it must’ve been to learn the news between a live performance and a live TV interview.

“I’m horrible. I feel for her, after coming off that.”

It’s been an emotional morning on breakfast television as friends, colleagues and fans of Newton-John have reacted to the news of her death in real time, after it broke at around 5:30am AEST.

Over on Nine, veteran entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins at first held it together as he reported the sad news on Today – but later in the morning, he was overcome with emotion, sobbing as host Karl Stefanovic rushed to comfort him.

And back on Sunriseanother emotional live interview, this time on the streets of Los Angeles with Grease casting director Joel Thurm, who wept openly as he described his fond memories of Newton-John.

The British-born, Melbourne-raised entertainer had waged a decades-long battle against cancer, which returned again in 2013.

In May 2017, she announced her breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her sacrum, and in 2018, it was revealed she was again battling the disease.

In October last year, Newton-John revealed that she was battling Stage 4 breast cancer but was managing the pain with medical marijuana.

Then today came the news fans had been fearing for years: Newton-John had died at her Southern Californian ranch, surrounded by loved ones, including her husband, John Easterling, and daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.

Chloe has today paid tribute to her late mum on social media – who she just days ago referred to as her “best friend.”

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