Olivia Newton-John dies of cancer aged 73

Hollywood is in mourning following news that Aussie entertainment icon Olivia Newton-John has died at the age of 73.

Olivia Newton-John has died aged 73 after a long battle with breast cancer.

The entertainment legend, who was born in England and raised in Melbourne, began her long battle with the disease in 1992.

In 2013, she was again diagnosed with cancer, this time in her shoulder after a car accident, but chose to keep it a secret.

“I thought, ‘I don’t really need to share this... It’s my life,” she later told Seven’s Sunday Night.

In May 2017, she announced her breast cancer had returned and mestastasized to her sacrum, and in 2018, it was revealed she was again battling the disease.

Newton-John opened up about it in an interview with Seven’s Sunday Night at the time.

“I’d be lying if I said I never go there,” she said.

“There are moments. I’m human, so if I allow myself to go there, I could easily create that big fear. But my husband’s always there — he’s always there to support me, and I believe I will win over it, and that’s my goal.”

Speaking to The Guardian in 2020, Newton-John spoke candidly about her life with cancer.

“It’s been a part of my life for so long. I felt something was wrong. It’s concerning when it comes back, but I thought ‘I’ll get through it again’.”

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Olivia Newton-John has died. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Olivia Newton-John and her daughter Chloe Lattanzi in 2016. Picture: Paul Redmond/WireImage

“Three times lucky, right?” she told the publication.

“I’m going to look at it like that. Listen, I think every day is a blessing. You never know when your time is over; we all have a finite amount of time on this planet, and we just need to be grateful for that.”

In October last year, Newton-John revealed that she was battling Stage 4 breast cancer but was managing the pain with medical marijuana.

On Monday, Newton-John died at her Southern Californian ranch, surrounded by loved ones, including her husband, John Easterling, and daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.

Easterling confirmed the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post, describing his late wife as “a symbol of triumphs and hope”.

“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” he wrote.

“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 Fund.”

She became a household name alongside John Travolta in 1978 film Grease. Picture: Paramount Pictures/Fotos International/Getty Images

Newton-John remained optimistic throughout her cancer battle, using her own experience to help launch the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne and raise hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight against the disease.

Over the years, the star explained that she preferred to be called a cancer “thriver” than a cancer “survivor”.

“Survivor’ sounds like someone clinging onto a lifeboat,” she said. “A thriver’s someone who’s already off the boat and on land.”

In 2019, she joked that she was in “denial” about her cancer while speaking to US television presenter Gayle King on CBS.

“Denial is really good, it’s really healthy,” she laughed.

“But it was consuming my day, and after a time, I went, ‘You know what? I don’t know what my time is, but I need to enjoy my life’. So I’m going to eat a cookie if I want it, and I’m going to have a cup of tea if I want it, and if I want to have a little bit of wine, I’m going to do that, because the joy of life and everyday living has to be a part of that healing process as well.”

Newton-John sold more than 100 million albums throughout her decades-long career, but her fame really peaked when she was cast as Sandy Olsson opposite John Travolta as Danny Zuko in 1978 musical film Grease.

Originally published as Olivia Newton-John dies of cancer aged 73