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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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Entertainment

Naomi Judd’s ‘graphic’ death records to remain sealed, per family’s wishes

Naomi Judd’s death records will be kept private – per her family’s request – due to the “graphic” nature in which she died, a judge has ruled.

The late country singer’s husband, Larry Strickland, and her two daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, filed a request in Williamson County, Tennessee, on Monday to keep any investigation records into her suicide private as it may cause “emotional distress, pain and mental anguish” if released, court documents obtained by NBC said.

Naomi – who battled depression and mental illness for years – died in April aged 76.

Her family argued in the court documents that records could depict the death of the singer in a “graphic manner”, new york post reports.

“Moreover, the release of these records would continue to cause the entire family pain for years to come,” the filing also stated.

According to NBC, the request was temporarily granted, but a hearing regarding the matter was scheduled for September 12.

Strickland and the Judd sisters filed the request on the same day news broke that Naomi had left her daughters’ names out of her will and made her husband executor of her estate.

Wynonna, 58, and Ashley, 54, did not address the apparent slight but a source told RadarOnline.com earlier this week that Wynonna is “upset” that she was excluded because she formed half of the duo The Judds with her mother.

The singer reportedly believes she was “a major force behind her mother’s success”.

A legal expert told Page Six exclusively on Tuesday that while it is “common” for a person to name the spouse as the executor of their will, “leaving out her daughters seems pointed, like a purposeful act on Naomi’s part”.

Lawyer Holly Davis added, however, that if “there is an issue or tension between the husband and the daughters, we will find out if there will be a will contest via probate lawyers in the coming days”.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Categories
Entertainment

Naomi Judd’s ‘graphic’ death records to remain sealed, per family’s wishes

Naomi Judd’s death records will be kept private – per her family’s request – due to the “graphic” nature in which she died, a judge has ruled.

The late country singer’s husband, Larry Strickland, and her two daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, filed a request in Williamson County, Tennessee, on Monday to keep any investigation records into her suicide private as it may cause “emotional distress, pain and mental anguish” if released, court documents obtained by NBC said.

Naomi – who battled depression and mental illness for years – died in April aged 76.

Her family argued in the court documents that records could depict the death of the singer in a “graphic manner”, new york post reports.

“Moreover, the release of these records would continue to cause the entire family pain for years to come,” the filing also stated.

According to NBC, the request was temporarily granted, but a hearing regarding the matter was scheduled for September 12.

Strickland and the Judd sisters filed the request on the same day news broke that Naomi had left her daughters’ names out of her will and made her husband executor of her estate.

Wynonna, 58, and Ashley, 54, did not address the apparent slight but a source told RadarOnline.com earlier this week that Wynonna is “upset” that she was excluded because she formed half of the duo The Judds with her mother.

The singer reportedly believes she was “a major force behind her mother’s success”.

A legal expert told Page Six exclusively on Tuesday that while it is “common” for a person to name the spouse as the executor of their will, “leaving out her daughters seems pointed, like a purposeful act on Naomi’s part”.

Lawyer Holly Davis added, however, that if “there is an issue or tension between the husband and the daughters, we will find out if there will be a will contest via probate lawyers in the coming days”.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Entertainment

Naomi Judd left Ashley and Wynonna out of her will

Naomi Judd left her only two daughters, Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd, out of her will, Page Six can confirm.

The late country singer – who died by suicide on April 30 – appointed her husband of 33 years, Larry Strickland, as the executor of her estate, according to court documents.

Naomi requested in the will that the musician, 76, have “full authority and discretion” over any property that is an asset to her estate “without the approval of any court” or permission from any beneficiary of the estate, Page Six reports.

She also stated, per the documents, that Strickland would be entitled to receive “reasonable compensation” for his services, and that he would be paid or reimbursed for all “reasonable expenses, advances and disbursements, including attorney’s and accountant’s fees, made or incurred. in the administration of my estate”.

The will was prepared on November 20, 2017, nearly five years before Naomi died.

According to the documents, the singer – who suffered a lifelong and public battle with depression – was of “sound mind and disposing memory” when she signed and approved the will.

Melissa Sitzler, a senior account manager at a Tennessee law firm Wiatr & Associates, and another individual named Abigail Muelder signed as witnesses.

According to the will, Naomi also asked that if her husband could not be executor due to death or any other reason, she wanted her brother-in-law, Reginald Strickland, and Daniel Kris Wiatr, the president of Wiatr & Associates, to serve as co-executors.

RadarOnline.com claims a source told them Wynonna, 58, is “upset” that she was excluded because she formed one-half of the duo, The Judds, with Naomi and “believes she was a major force behind her mother’s success”.

However, reps for Wynonna and Ashley, 54, did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

The sisters have not given any indication of tension between them and their mother since her passing – even attending Naomi’s Country Music Hall of Fame induction one day after announcing her death.

Then in May, Wynonna said she felt “helpless” over the loss and vowed to “break the cycle of addiction and family dysfunction, that I must continue to show up for myself [first] and do the personal healing work”.

Meanwhile, Ashley said in a podcast interview in July that she could “understand” that her mother was in pain after years of dealing with an “undiagnosed and untreated mental illness”.

Page Six has also contacted the lawyer who prepared Naomi’s will, but did not hear back in time for publication.

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Naomi’s estate is estimated to be worth $35 million.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission

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