Grease star Olivia Newton-John has sadly passed away at the age of 73, after a brave battle with cancer for three decades.
Newton-John rose to fame in the late 1970s after portraying the role of Sandy in the hit film Grease alongside John Travolta.
Let’s take a look at Olivia Newton John’s legacy in tribute to the actress and singer’s life…
Inside Olivia Newton-John’s life
Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, on September 26 1948.
Newton-John’s father was an MI5 officer on the Enigma project, who took Rudolf Hess into custody during World War 2. After the war, he became the headmaster of the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys.
Newton-John was the youngest of three children and when she was six years old their family moved to Melbourne, Australia. However, she moved back to the UK after school and formed a band with Pat Carroll called “Pat and Olivia.” After Carroll’s visa expired she returned to Australia and Newton-John pursued her solo career which went from strength to strength.
Newton-John’s career soared even higher after she starred in Grease in 1978 at the age of 28. She was offered the lead role of Sandy after meeting producer Allan Carr at Helen Reddy’s dinner party.
Olivia Newton-John’s 30-year battle with breast cancer
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and Newton-John revealed she was diagnosed the same weekend that her father died of cancer.
From there Olivia has been open with the public about having the disease, immediately advocating for research into it. After her initial cancer diagnosis, she established the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Research Centre in her hometown of Melbourne.
Twenty-one years after her first diagnosis, in 2013, doctors discovered cancer in her shoulder too, but this is something Newton-John decided not to share with family, friends or fans.
“The first time I talked about it, and the second time I thought, ‘I don’t really need to share this’ … It’s my life. I decided to just keep it to myself,” she told Australia’s “Sunday Night.”
In May 2017, Newton-John was in the midst of a tour, but she ended up having to postpone the first half of it because of severe back pain. Following tests, it was revealed that her cancer had returned and a tumour had caused her to suffer a broken sacrum and fractured pelvis. This meant she had to learn to walk again, treating the pain with morphine.
Olivia Newton-John’s treatment paths explored
During her cancer battle she underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction, Newton-John said. By 2020, she was facing stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
Interestingly, Newton-John was keen to bring an alternative path of medicine to light, natural ailments including herbs and Eastern medicine. She spoke publicly about plant-based treatments and using medical cannabis oral drops. These came from plants that her husband, John Easterling, grew at their home in California, where cannabis is legal for both medicinal and recreational use.
“I really believe the cannabis has made a huge difference,” she explained on 60 Minutes Australia in 2019. “If I don’t take the drops, I can feel the pain, so I know it’s working.”
Newton-John also believed in staying optimistic and the positive effect it has on her healing and recovery process, this is why she never wanted to know how long she had left to live.
Olivia Newton-John passes away at 73
On Monday, August 8, after 30 years of battling cancer, Olivia Newton-John passed away at her Southern California home, while surrounded by family. “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” a statement on her Facebook page reads.
In the US, contact Cancer Care at 800‑813‑HOPE (4673) or visit this link. You can also call the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-234 or visit their website. In the UK you can call Breast Cancer Now free on 0808 800 6000 or visit Cancer Research UK or Macmillan Cancer Support.
The post Inside Olivia Newton-John’s life and 30 year battle with breast cancer appeared first on The Focus.
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