John Travolta was devastated when his dear friend Olivia Newton-John passed away from
cancer in 2022.
So when the actor paid a touching tribute to his Grease co-star at the 2023 Oscars,
there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Every year at the Oscars, the Academy pays tribute to past Oscar winners and nominees
who have passed away since the last award show.
The 2023 Oscars were no exception.
During the "Oscars In Memoriam" segment, notable stars, including composer Burt Bacharach,
who won three Oscars, and Irene Cara, famous for her role in the 1980 musical Fame, were honored.
For this year's Oscars In Memoriam segment, John Travolta was asked to do the introduction.
In 1977, Travolta lost his then-girlfriend Diana Hyland to breast cancer.
Despite moving on and finding love with Kelly Preston, tragedy struck again when the couple's
16-year-old son Jett died during a Christmas vacation in 2009.
And then, in 2020, Preston, Travolta's wife of nearly 30 years, passed away after being
diagnosed with breast cancer two years earlier.
In the years that have passed, Travolta has opened up about coping with his many losses,
once admitting to Esquire Mexico:
"Grief is personal and finding your own path is what could lead to healing."
As John Travolta took the stage to introduce the "Oscars In Memoriam" segment, he delivered
a powerful speech that moved him to tears.
He started by recognizing the importance of honoring those who dedicated their lives to
entertainment, acknowledging that it is a privilege for entertainers to pursue their passion.
However, a few moments into his speech, Travolta got visibly emotional as he specifically paid
tribute to his late Grease co-star, Olivia Newton-John.
He said,
"Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible
mark that shared and informed us.
They've touched our hearts, they've made us smile, and became dear friends, who we will
always remain hopelessly devoted to."
The last part, of course, was a reference to Newton-John's 1978 song "Hopelessly Devoted
To You."
Unsurprisingly, Travolta's heartwarming tribute sparked reactions from fans, with many taking
to Twitter to acknowledge the moment.
One person wrote:
"John Travolta [is] really trying to make your boy tear up with his emotional Olivia
Newton-John shout-out...Dammit."
A second person tweeted:
"John Travolta choking on his words destroyed me.
RIP Olivia Newton-John.
Forever my Sandy."
Following her death in August 2022, Travolta paid a touching tribute to Newton-John, who
acted as his love interest in the 1978 musical.
Travolta wrote on Instagram:
"I love you so much.
We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.
Yours from the moment I saw you and forever."
For John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, what started as an on-screen romance soon
transcended into a lifelong friendship.
Five years after the release of Grease, Travolta and Newton-John reunited to co-star in the
1983 film Two of a Kind.
In the years that followed, Travolta and Newton-John maintained their bond, ultimately becoming
best friends.
So much so that despite their busy schedules, the twosome made it a point to see each other
as often as possible.
"Two to three times a year we probably see each other."
Travolta told US Weekly in 2019:
"If I go to see her in her show, we go backstage and hang out, and I watch the show and all that.
If I go to see her personally, we usually have dinner and catch up.
And recently we've been talking about trying to do something together."
Newton-John previously opened up about her friendship with Travolta, crediting him for
convincing her to take on the role of Sandy in Grease.
Per Marca, she once admitted,
"I couldn't have done the film if I hadn't met John, because I wasn't sure about doing it.
He convinced me."
"John came to talk me into doing it."
And given the length of their friendship, it is no surprise the pair had each other
through difficult times.
Newton-John once explained to People:
"[In tough times] John always reaches out to me."
Travolta added to the outlet,
"I've been through her having a child, getting divorced, losing her sister.
She's been through my getting married, having children.
It's wonderful and full of shared memories."