Olivia Newton-John’s Family Opens Up About Her Last Words During Her Final Days Of Battling Cancer

Oct 02, 2023 by apost team

On Aug. 8, 2022, the world lost one of its brightest stars – Olivia Newton-John. She was a British-Australian performer best known for her work as an actress, singer and activist. The acclaimed woman won several awards over the course of her life and was honored by fans and critics alike. Among the family she left behind was her niece, Totti Goldsmith, who revealed her last conversation with her superstar aunt a few days before her passing.

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in England, before moving with her family to Australia when she was 6 years old. She had an early start in music, but superstardom would come when she was cast in the 1978 musical “Grease” opposite John Travolta. 

Newton-John’s portrayal of an innocent Australian student pining for Travolta’s Danny Zuko catapulted the performer to fame and made her a household name, showing off her sweet yet powerful vocals and great acting chops. Even today, people are still singing the songs from the “Grease” soundtrack and dressing up as Danny and Sandy for costume parties.

While her follow-up film “Xanadu” would fail to achieve the same level of success as “Grease,” it would forever change her life. On the set, she met dancer Matt Lattanzi, and the two quickly hit it off. After six years of dating, Newton-John and Lattanzi tied the knot in December 1984, and the couple had their only child, daughter Chloe Rose Lattanzi, in 1986.

In 1992, Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer, starting her three-decades-long battle with the disease. After recovering, it returned again in 2013 and 2017. 

In 2023, several months after Newton-John’s passing, Chloe opened up about her mother’s final days and her last words.

Newton-John had always been the personification of sunniness, optimism, hope and joy. And according to close family, she remained that way until her last days. Her niece Goldsmith, an actress and singer based in Melbourne, Australia, told 9Now that the family had been preparing to make her final days as comfortable as possible.

“It’s not a shock, we’ve known how sick she’s been, especially the last five days,” she said. "John (Easterling) her husband, has kept us in the loop and I’ve been talking to the beautiful Chloe a lot."

Goldsmith said John Easterling was able to arrange a video call between the two of them. “I told her all the things I needed to say,” Goldsmith, who is the daughter of Newton-John’s sister Rona, said. She added that her aunt’s last few days were made harder by medical complications:

“It wasn’t just the cancer that got her, it was other complications, being in a hospital and with a very susceptible immune system. She got secondary infections. She really went down in the past five, six days.”

Even cannabinoids, which Newton-John had advocated for previously as part of her cancer treatment, could not reduce the pain.

“It’s really helped her, but later on it wasn’t enough. She’s really struggled with a lot of pain,” Goldsmith said.

She also recalled the time she spent with Newton-John while she was receiving treatment at the  Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne. 

“She was really skinny and really unwell and I said to her, ‘Are you afraid of dying?’” she said. “She said, ‘Plonker,’ which was my nickname, she said, ‘I’m not, I’m not afraid, I’ve done more in my life than I could have ever imagined.’ She honestly never imagined her life would be how it was.”

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After Newton-John had been well into her battle with cancer, she found ways to give back to others. Newton-John had become an avid activist for cancer research, using her platform to spread awareness and open treatment and research centers.

“Olivia loved helping people,” a source told the New York Post. “She spent the last two decades of her life giving back.”

Back in 2019, Newton-John told Us Weekly that she tried to stay positive:

“If you think positive thoughts, you’ll create a positive world around yourself and attract positive people to you. I’m very lucky in all those areas; I have the best husband in the world and the best daughter. I’m lucky.”

The actress had shown a similar optimism during the first time she announced that she had cancer in 1992. “I draw strength from the millions of women who have faced this challenge successfully,” she released in a statement, per PEOPLE. “This has been detected early because I’ve had regular examinations, so I encourage other women to do the same.”

On Aug. 8, 2022, Easterling took to Instagram via Newton-John’s page to share the news of her heartbreaking passing. He explained she was “surrounded by family and friends” prior to her death. He continued:

“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.”

Newton-John’s legacy will surely be remembered through her only daughter, Chloe. Chloe has followed in her famous mother’s footsteps, making music and acting.

The close bond between mother and daughter led to their collaboration on the song “Window in the Wall” in 2021. After her mother’s passing, Chloe released a behind-the-scenes clip of the pair recording the duet on Instagram on Aug. 9, 2022, in which the loving pair were seen smiling, laughing and frequently embracing each other.

“You are my lighthouse mama. My safe place. My heart space,” Chloe’s caption read. “It has been my honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and best friend. You are an angel on earth and everyone touched by you has been blessed. I love you forever my life giver, my teacher, my mama.”

In February 2023, Chloe spoke with TODAY to reflect on her mother’s legacy. She also shared more details about her final days and the last words she said.

“The last words she could say to me was, ‘My sunshine,” Chloe said. “And right before she lost her ability to speak, she was making jokes.”

Chloe added, “I love my mom more than anything. She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.”

It was evident that Newton-John was loved by many, and her fans played a big part in helping Chloe grieve her mother’s passing. “It actually has been a life raft. It has felt like a big hug from the universe,” she said. “And I’m very grateful for all of the people who reached out to us and extended their heart and their connection.”

There’s no doubt that Newton-John’s memory will forever live on.

Olivia Newton-John was most certainly a ray of sunshine in the lives of those she loved. Were you a fan of the star? What did you think about her relationship with Chloe? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this on to family and friends.