John Travolta took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to his late Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John, who passed away this morning.
Her family confirmed to TMZ this afternoon that she had passed away peacefully at her Southern California ranch at the age of 73, after a decades-long battle with breast cancer.
Of course, her iconic role as Sandy in Grease alongside John Travolta in 1978 catapulted her to superstardom and put her on the map, with a number of hit songs coming from the track list like “You’re the One that I Want,” “Summer Nights,” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
John shared a photo of a young Olivia on his Instagram page, saying in part that he loved her “so much” and will see her again one day, adding that her “impact was incredible.”
The affection that he still has for after all these years is quite obvious, as he also noted that he was “your from the first moment I saw you and forever,” still referring to himself as “her Danny.”
It’s a very sweet testament to their friendship and how much they still meant to each other all these years later:
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. 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! Your Danny, your John!””
Olivia’s husband, John Easterling, put out a statement via her social media platforms earlier, saying that Olivia had endured a 30-year battle with breast cancer after first being diagnosed in 1992.
She went into remission after the first diagnoses, and it came back in 2013. It went back into remission again after that, but resurfaced most recently in 2017.
In the country music world, Newton-John won a Grammy for Best Country Female and an Academy of Country Music Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 193, and then the 1974 Female Vocalist of the Year at the CMA Awards.
You can read her husband’s full statement here:
“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.
Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton John Foundation.
Olivia is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall.
– via John Easterling, husband, Olivia Newton-John.”
RIP Olivia.
And for old times sake, you simply can’t beat the on-screen chemistry between these two…
“You’re The One That I Want”
