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Grease star Didi Conn has shared the final text message exchange she had with her co-star and best friend Olivia Newton-John.
On Monday (8 August) John Easterling – Newton-John's husband of 14 years – announced she had passed away surrounded by her family at their California ranch after a three-decade battle with cancer.
The beloved actor and singer was best known for playing Sandy in the iconic 1978 musical film Grease alongside Conn, who starred as Frenchie.
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The pair's friendship transcended the silver screen and lasted the next 40 years up until Newton-John's death.
Conn, 71, said she was recently in contact with Newton-John after she had a bout of sickness earlier in the year.
"My husband called me and when I was at a doctor’s appointment and when I saw the phone ringing repeatedly I thought, uh oh. And I got scared," she told The Mirror.
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"When I answered he asked me to sit down and told me.
“Last time I was in contact with Olivia was by text and I said, ‘I hope you know you’re in my heart, always’. And she wrote back, ‘And you are in mine’. That was our last message on July 5th."
She added: "Olivia’s death feels so personal to me and so many other people because she cared so much. Her heart was so big.”
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Conn is the latest Grease actor to pay a heartfelt tribute to Newton-John. Stockard Channing, who played Betty Rizzo – the leader of the pink ladies – compared her former co-star to 'the essence of summer'.
“I don’t know if I’ve known a lovelier human being,” she told People magazine.
“Olivia was the essence of summer – her sunniness, her warmth and her grace are what always come to mind when I think of her. I will miss her enormously.”
John Travolta, who starred as Sandy's love interest Danny Zuko, shared a heartbreaking statement on Instagram after Newton-John's death was announced.
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"My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," Travolta wrote in the heartbreaking post.
"Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again."
Travolta concluded the post: "Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!
Your Danny, your John!"
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The heartfelt words were a reference to the actors' ongoing friendship and, of course, the Grease song, 'We Go Together', as well as John's iconic character, Danny Zuko.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
Gregory Robinson