On August 9, news broke that one of Australia’s most beloved and treasured stars, Olivia Newton-John, had sadly passed away at the age of 73.
Confirming her passing in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Australian time, Newton-John’s husband John Easterling shared the unfortunate news in an official statement.
“Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” his statement read.
Over the past 30 years, Newton-John has endured an on-and-off battle with breast cancer, with the Grease star confirming that the cancer had returned and spread to her spine in 2017.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” Easterling wrote.
Aside from being one of Australia’s golden children, Newtown-John was a celebrated actor and musician, most notable for her role as Sandy Olsson in 1978’s Grease, alongside John Travolta. In fact, her performance of one of the film’s most known songs, “Hopelessly Devoted To You” earned her a nomination for Best Original Song at the 1978 Academy Awards.
Not long after news of her death, tributes and condolences poured in from her friends and colleagues all around Hollywood, praising the late star for her kindness and talent. One of the most poignant tributes came from her Grease co-star, John Travolta, who paid tribute to her in a sweet dedication.
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
Newton-John is survived by her husband Easterling, whom she married in 2008, and her daughter Chloe Rose Lattanzi, from her previous marriage to Matt Lattanzi.
Below, the most heartbreaking and sweet celebrity tributes to Olivia Newtown-John following news of her death.
John Travolta
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” he wrote.
“We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!” he said, before concluding, “Your Danny, your John!”
Barbra Streisand
Given Newton-John’s plethora of Grammy Award wins under her belt, it makes sense that she and the Broadway icon Barbra Streisand would have crossed paths throughout their careers. And naturally, they did, with Streisand paying tribute to the Xanadu star in a simple, to-the-point statement.
“Too young to leave this world,” Stresiand wrote on Instagram, sharing a sweet throwback photo of the pair. “May she RIP.”
Kristin Chenoweth
Musical powerhouse and Wicked alum Kristin Chenoweth shared her own touching tribute to the Australian singer, along with a sweet video of her character in her beloved TV series, Pushing Daisies, singing Newton-John’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You”.
“For Olivia, I love you. You were everything to me,” the Tony Award winner wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for all you did for the world. I’m so sorry you’re gone too soon. I’ll forever cherish the note you left me backstage at Wicked.”
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough and Newtown-John shared a special bond, with the American dancer, actress and singer sharing a series of heartwarming images of the pair clearly enamoured by each other.
“Like so many, Olivia has always been my hero,” she wrote on Instagram. “Discovering her magnetic energy as an artist and actress came first but it was her heart that truly captured mine. Forever an icon and legend!”
Yvette Nicole Brown
Taking to Twitter, Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown shared in the sadness surrounding Newton-John’s death, writing that she’s “done” following the news.
“Olivia Newton-John has died. That’s it. I’m done guys,” she tweeted. “Heartbroken doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it. I ADORED her. I hate this so much. She was only 73. What is going on?!”
Kathy Griffin
Taking to Twitter, Kathy Griffin shared a video of the late star when she appeared on her reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List.
“Olivia Newton-John rolled with EVERYTHING,” the comedian tweeted, clearly referencing Newton-John’s easy-going nature.
Fran Drescher
Star of The Nanny and friend of Newton-John, Fran Drescher took to her Instagram to share her condolences over the loss of the Australian star.
“Dear sweet wonderfully talented Olivia Newton John has passed at 73. She lived a big life, always shining her light on us all with her warmth and radiance,” she wrote.
“My heart breaks for her family, for they most of all know what a profound loss this is. She was a selfless human being, far better than most, and the world just got a little darker without her light. My deepest condolences, fran.”
Gabrielle Union
Bring It On alum and Hollywood star Gabrielle Union also took to Twitter to share some sweet words about Newton-John and how she and her sister grew up watching the Australian icon throughout her work.
“Grease is my #1 movie of all time and made me a lifelong Olivia Newton John fan,” she tweeted. “Me and my sister watched Xanadu more times than I could count. Sending so much love and prayers to a real gift of a woman and talent.”
Jane Lynch
As for Jane Lynch, the Glee alum and Broadway star has previously worked with Newton-John, following the Aussie star’s stint on Ryan Murphy’s musical comedy. Lynch kept her tribute short and sweet, simply tweeting in response to another tribute by Richard Marx.
“ONJ. Angel”, Lynch wrote.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
