Following the tragic passing of the beloved actress Olivia Newton-John , fans have been
looking back on her memorable life. While her husband, John Easterling , has been by her side
for the last fourteen years, Olivia had two previous relationships that impacted her life.
We're going to take a look at the late actress's love life,
her marriages, and the mysterious disappearance of a man she once loved.
Olivia Newton-John was 31 years old when she first met 20-year-old dancer Matt Lattanzi
on the set of the 1980 musical film Xanadu. There isn't much known about the beginnings
of their relationship, but we do know that the pair instantly hit things off.
Olivia and Matt married in 1984 and welcomed their daughter, Chloe Rose, two years later. Sadly, in
1992 the couple was struck with the terrible news of Newton-John's first breast cancer diagnosis.
The actress was determined to fight, and Matt was there by her side while she underwent treatment.
Olivia's family shared that he was "so supportive" of her throughout her battle.
Unfortunately, three years later, the couple announced that they would be getting a divorce.
Friends close to the former couple explained that the split was due largely because of the
difference in their personal beliefs. They also shared that following her diagnosis, Olivia
chose to spend more time with people that were "very spiritual" and needed "to find her equal."
However, it was later revealed that Matt had been having a secret affair with their
babysitter, Cindy Jessup, while Olivia was battling cancer. When Newton-John began
to have suspicions about the relationship between her husband and their babysitter,
she reportedly confronted the pair which quickly turned into an argument.
The fight resulted in Matt moving in with Jessup and eventually divorcing Olivia.
He then went on to marry his former-babysitter in 1997.
Thankfully, Olivia and Matt were able to remain amicable following their divorce
for the sake of their daughter, and there was no bad blood between them. She never
blamed her ex-husband’s affair for the end of their marriage,
but insisted that it was her battle with cancer that led to their divorce.
The actress explained, “'I think our marriage would have eventually come to an end,
but it happened sooner because of the cancer,
which was a good thing. It was very painful, but we were never at odds with each other.”
A year after her divorce, the actress started dating cameraman Patrick McDermott . The pair
had an on-and-off relationship over the next nine years, but during that time,
there wasn't information about their romance since they tried to keep things out of the spotlight.
However, that all changed in 2005 after Patrick mysteriously disappeared while on a fishing trip.
Olivia and Patrick had ended their relationship the year before,
so they were no longer together when he went missing. But McDermott's disappearance drew
a lot of attention because of his previous romance with the actress.
What's more, the circumstances around Patrick's sudden disappearance made things all the more
confusing. When the boat arrived at San Clemente Island, no one had any idea that Patrick wasn't
on board, and his belongings, including his wallet, were all still on the boat.
It was only ten days later that his ex-wife, actress Yvette Nipar, knew
something was wrong when he never arrived for a scheduled visitation with his son.
According to reports, no one had seen or heard from McDermott since the fishing trip,
so he was officially reported as a missing person.
It was determined by the US Coast Guard that McDermott "most likely" drowned after
accidentally falling overboard. However, there were no witnesses on the boat that saw him fall
into the water. His belongings were also all found on board the vessel, including his wallet,
and his clothes had all been neatly folded. After further investigation into his disappearance,
some were led to believe that he might have faked his own death.
It turned out that Patrick was in serious debt,
including owing his ex-wife $8,000 in unpaid child support. What resulted was a suspicion
that he staged his own death in order to free himself of his financial troubles.
So the question remained … Did he tragically fall overboard, or did he make himself disappear?
Four years after his disappearance, Newton-John confessed to still being
haunted by the trauma of losing him. "I think there will always
be a question mark … I don't think I will ever really be at peace with it."
In a shocking turn of events in 2016, it was reported that there was evidence
that McDermott was alive after photos were discovered of a man matching his description.
A Private detective shared that these images were
a "90 percent match" to McDermott, adding, "I believe it is him."
When Olivia was asked whether she believed that Patrick faked his own death, she
expressed her grief over her former boyfriend's disappearance, saying, "He was lost at sea and
nobody really knows what happened. It's human to wonder, but … you have to accept and let go."
A source later revealed that Olivia had allegedly hired private investigators to help search for
Patrick and, during that time, also bonded with his ex-wife over his disappearance.
The source shared, "She came to learn Patrick staged his
disappearance. But she never went looking for him.
As she pieced it all together, she uncovered why he decided to just pack up and leave."
The insider also explained that while it was difficult for Olivia to come to terms with
the fact that Patrick had chosen to leave his family behind "in the most sensational
of ways," she understood that it was what he wanted. So she stopped looking for him.
Unfortunately, Patrick's disappearance remains a mystery since neither his drowning nor the
faking of his death can be made for certain. However, his ex-wife, Yvette, has shared that
she believes McDermott fell overboard and has tried to move on with the tragedy of his loss.
In the meantime, Olivia also moved on with her life and put the loss of her
former lover behind her. The actress and John Easterling had been friends
for almost twenty years after meeting at an environmental show around the '80s.
However, a surprising incident occurred in 2006 that turned their friendship into a
blossoming romance. Easterling got into a car accident while driving to the airport,
which resulted in him fracturing his lower spine. John refused to stay at the hospital
and instead called his friend Olivia and asked if he could recover at her guest house.
John shared, "I could barely move,
so I stayed on Olivia's couch until I could travel again," he said.
It was from there that the first blooms of romance began to spark,
as they got to know each other even better. However,
Easterling admitted to her that he'd never seen her perform or even watched Grease.
So, about a year later, Easterling finally made it to one of Olivia's performances in Miami.
He described the moment he saw her on stage, "The lights went down and I heard this Peruvian music,
and she stepped out and sang 'Pearls on a Chain'… and that's when I recognized who
she was. I thought, 'She's a healer, and this is her medium of healing'."
John then suggested that Olivia take a trip with him to the Amazon to meet
other healers who work there. Newton-John immediately agreed to take the trip with him,
and it was at that moment that he knew she was the one.
The South American voyage created the perfect chance for the pair to bond over their love
for the jungle and the healing powers of nature. Newton-John and the entrepreneur
found a mutual bond in their appreciation of wellness culture and alternative healing methods.
Easterling explained, "We'd see each other every year at functions,
and the more I got to know her, I thought,
'Oh, she's a really nice person. She really does care about people and animals and the rainforest."
The couple went on to get married in 2008 in a private Peruvian ceremony.
Newton-John later revealed in an interview, "It was just a special sacred site that we went to.
We walked there, it was a beautiful day and it was just something we wanted to do."
She also gushed over her new husband during the interview, describing herself as "very lucky."
Olivia explained, "I have a wonderful, beautiful husband who is just so loving and fantastic."
She added, "I always tell my friends you're never too old to find love.
I found the love of my life at 59 going on 60! I'm grateful."
It was the ultimate fairytale ending and marked a bright new chapter following a challenging period
in Newton-John's personal life. Sadly, just five years later, Olivia's cancer returned,
and after going into remission for a while, it came back once again in 2017.
John and Olivia decided to approach her diagnosis with holistic medicine,
and he even helped her manage her cancer symptoms with medicinal marijuana he grew himself.
As the years passed, the actress continued to fight her battle against cancer,
and John was by her side every step of the way.
Tragically, on the 8th of August 2022, with John at her bedside,
Olivia passed away in her home at the age of seventy-three.
John announced the heartbreaking news of his wife's passing on Facebook, sharing,
"Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning,
surrounded by family and friends."
He also wrote a message celebrating Olivia's life and the special love that they shared. John added,
"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."
There's no doubt that the late Olivia Newton-John made an impact not only in Hollywood but in the
approach to holistic medicine. After her first marriage ended, she yearned to find her equal,
and she finally did with John Easterling. Together they shared the same dream of healing people and
changing the world. Her memory will forever live through the lives that she changed
and everything she gave of herself to helping people.
Olivia will never be forgotten by her fans and all those who love her.
We share our deepest condolences to John and her family, and we hope that they're
able to take this time to heal their hearts and find comfort in their memories of Olivia.