‘Death watch’ on Olivia Newton-John a new low

Social media has killed off plenty of celebrities in the last decade. Some people laugh it off. But there was nothing amusing about gross rumours on ONJ’s supposed final weeks, writes Cameron Adams.

Some media outlets did not cover themselves in glory this week over a ghoulish story claiming singer Olivia Newton-John had only weeks to live.

The grubby yarn can be traced back to The National Enquirer, who ran a grisly story with the tasteful headline “The End” last month. The “final picture” was in fact taken during her visit to Australia last September.

Their digital arm, Radar Online, followed up with another more morbid tale saying the singer was hoping to stay alive long enough to see daughter Chloe marry then a string of quotes, given to a loose-lipped “source”, about how she wanted to die at home after the wedding. They were uncharacteristically open for a woman who rarely discusses her private life, and surprisingly bleak for someone who has made a career out of positivity.

RELATED: Olivia Newton-John subject of gross online rumours

Newton-John’s social media team dismissed the story when it surfaced in the US on Boxing Day as false, even telling fans not to be alarmed and the singer’s health was actually improving. She’s now posted a video letting fans know “rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

Happy New Year! Here’s to a wonderful 2019! Love & light, Olivia pic.twitter.com/1Nd2jIcRb1

— Olivia Newton-John (@olivianj) January 3, 2019

Maybe it was a slow news day yesterday, but several local sites, including Mamamia, picked up on the Radar Online story and by the afternoon several major TV networks were running with rumour as headline news. One TV network shamefully even directly linked their story on the singer’s “final weeks” to ONJ’s own Twitter page. Were they hoping for a retweet? How does any human being think that is decent behaviour?

No media organisation functions without publishing stories that can embarrass or hurt — that’s part of the media’s role.

But there has to be limits. Stories on secret weddings, rumoured partners or whispered pregnancies are one thing. But must we now be on death watch for Olivia Newton-John?

During a music career far too often overlooked she paved the way for Australian acts to break the UK and American markets.

She has won four Grammys, had five No.1 US singles, two No.1 US albums and sold 100 million albums world wide and of course is a part of Grease, one of the most successful movies of all time.

But more importantly, there’s not a person on the earth with a bad word to say about her.

And the legacy she rightly seems most proud of is her work to raise awareness — and tens of millions — to eradicate cancer.

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In her unexpectedly candid memoir Don’t Stop Belivin’ she revealed her secret battle with cancer in 2012. After this week you can she why she kept it hidden.

Nothing is sacred in the world of celebrity. The singer was no doubt forced to make this latest diagnosis public as she had to cancel a string of concerts.

However it didn’t stop her heading to Melbourne last September for her annual walk for her beloved Cancer and Wellness Centre (her goal is to remove the word “cancer” from the building when a cure is found) and she did hours and hours of interviews where she regularly (but politely) diverted questions away from herself and on to her charity work.

Olivia Newton-John during her visit to Melbourne last year for the annual walk for her Cancer and Wellness Centre. Picture: Jason Edwards

She has also become the public face for alternative therapies — including medicinal cannabis — and has used her celebrity status to literally raise tens of millions to help others and save lives.

RELATED: Olivia Newton-John receives honorary doctorate

Who knows what’s happening with her health, but last time I checked tabloid magazines are not medical professionals. It’s her business and she’s entitled to choose who she reveals it to. She’s shared plenty with the world. She’s shared more than ever in her book. In it she writes: “I truly believe this will be my final round with cancer. I truly believe it will be like last time and I will go on with my life.”

We only have to look at the last few years of Freddie Mercury’s life — imprisoned in his house as paparazzi tried to get “the last photo” — as one of the real ugly sides of fame. And that was in the era before camera phones made everyone a pap, and the bounty on those ghastly photos would now be sky high.

Social media has killed off plenty of celebrities in the last decade. Some people laugh it off. There was nothing particularly amusing about gross anti-fan fiction about Olivia Newton-John’s supposed final weeks. The fact they were picked up and run without a: checking any sources and b: with such a sinister, nasty angle is the first black mark against journalism this year. To paraphrase ONJ, it was a place that nobody should have dared to go.

Let’s do better in 2019. Give Olivia the privacy she deserves.

Cameron Adams is the Herald Sun’s music writer.

@cameron_adams