Monday 8 August 2022 11:55 PM Olivia Newton-John said being in denial about her cancer was a 'good thing' - ... trends now
Late music icon Olivia Newton-John confessed that she had been in 'denial' about her cancer battle in recent years – and refused to label her struggle to live as a 'fight.'
In one of her last poignant red carpet appearances, the Australian star admitted that she refused even to think about cancer on a daily basis.
The fun-loving singer and actress, famed for her role as Sandy in 1978 film Grease, as well as her stellar music career, called life 'a gift' no matter the outcome.
A statement from her husband John Easterling posted to her Instagram revealed the singer died peacefully at her Southern California ranch Monday morning. She was 73.
Newton-John had always remained positive about her health even during the worrying times of the pandemic.
Olivia Newton-John spoke candidly about her positive outlook on life amid her long battle with cancer, in an interview with DailyMail.com at the G'Day USA benefit in Beverly Hills in January 2020. She is pictured with her niece, Australian actress Tottie Goldsmith
Husband John Easterling accompanied his wife Olivia at the G'Day USA event when she spoke of her denial over cancer
Just two years before her passing, she spoke candidly about her outlook on life at the G'Day USA benefit in Beverly Hills alongside former co-star John Travolta.
'Gosh, life is a gift and I've had an amazing life and I intend to keep going with it and I want to help other people with cancer of course,' she told DailyMail.com in the January 2020 interview.
'I have my wellness center in Melbourne and I want to see an end to cancer in my lifetime so other people don't have to suffer.'
Newton-John was first diagnosed with the disease in 1992 but announced she had overcome the cancer in 2013, the year after her Wellness Center first opened.
But in May 2017, she was told cancer had metastasized and spread to her bones.
Reflecting on her fight to beat the condition, she admitted: 'I don't see it as a battle. I don't think about it a lot, to be honest.
'Denial is a really good thing and I'm getting stronger and better all the time! I am doing well!...I am feeling wonderful.'
She also admitted that she had hope for her future.
'I'm winning over and living with it well and that's how I see it,' she added.
Just days before her death, Olivia Newton-John posted a heartwarming photo to Instagram with her husband John Easterling
Newton-John's husband announced her death on her Facebook page on Monday. She was 73
Newton-John also reflected on her delight at still being remembered for Grease over four decades after its release.
She confessed: 'We did something very special together. That movie is still loved.'
She recalled how caring Travolta was during the filming of the musical romantic film.
Asked about her favorite memory on set, she relied: 'His kindness to me. When there was one scene in the movie – it was my close up, when Rizzo pulls me forward in the bonfire scene – and in the middle of my take, he stopped it and came over to me and whispered in my ear: "I think you can do better."
'So that's really generous. For an actor to do that for another actor. I wasn't as experienced as him. He was very nurturing and sweet.'
During that same event, lifelong friend and Grease co-star Travolta praised her positive outlook on
