The one they still want. The cast of Grease shared touching tributes to their former leading lady, Olivia Newton-John, after she died following a decades-long battle with breast cancer at age 73.
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible,” her former costar John Travolta wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 8, shortly after the news broke. “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!”
The Pulp Fiction star, 68, signed his touching post: “Your Danny.”
Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, confirmed in a statement shared on Facebook that the Xanadu star had died at her home in Southern California on Monday, August 8. “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) 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,” the statement read. She is survived by Easterling, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, siblings Sarah Newton-John and Toby Newton-John and her many nieces and nephews.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” the statement continued. “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.” Newton-John’s loved ones also encouraged fans to donate to the foundation in her memory.
The Australia native was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and became an outspoken advocate for health screenings and cancer research. Though she was in remission for years, Newton-John learned that her cancer had returned after being treated following a minor car accident in 2013. Though the “Physical” singer initially decided not to share her journey with the public, four years later she opened up about her health issues once more after a doctor discovered a tumor at the base of her spine.
Despite her health battles, Newton-John remained optimistic and did her best to focus on the positive. “I feel really well, thank you,” she told Us Weekly exclusively in January 2021. “Thanks to my husband and his plant medicine. I’m doing really well.”
At the time, the “Hopelessly Devoted to You” singer also reflected on her experiences shooting Grease with Travolta and the decades-long friendship that sprang from their summer nights on set together. “John is a lovely, sweet man,” she told Us. “And he made all my acting experiences really easy. He was very thoughtful and encouraged me if he thought I wasn’t doing a good enough job.”
Recalling one take where the Saturday Night Fever actor purposefully messed up a shot to give her a chance to try the scene again, Newton-John gushed: “[John] came up and whispered in my ear and he said, ‘I know you can do it better [than that].’ … He deliberately messed up the tape to allow me to do it better. And that was, you know, just a sample of his generosity as an actor.”
Keep scrolling to see more tributes to Newton-John from the Grease cast: