Olivia Newton-John's husband shares star's final wish in emotional post
Topics: Celebrity
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: @therealonj/Instagram/Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Celebrity
Dame Olivia Newton-John's husband has shared his wife's final wish in an emotional post following her death.
The beloved actor and singer died aged 73 on Monday (8 August) surrounded by her family at her California ranch.
In the statement announcing her passing, her husband of 14 years said the star's last request was for donations to be made to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.
The independent charity was established by Newton-John to help sponsor global research into plant medicine to treat cancer.
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"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," Easterling said in a statement. "Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org)."
Newton-John and businessman and conservationist Easterling, her second husband, tied the knot in in 2008 and they remained married until her death.
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Newton-John became a prominent breast cancer campaigner after she was given the first of three cancer diagnoses in 1992.
Following her initial battle with the disease, she had a partial mastectomy and reconstruction.
Newton-John remained cancer-free until a recurrence in 2013, then in September 2018 Dame Olivia revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time in three decades, telling Australian news programme Sunday Night that doctors had found a tumour in her lower back in 2017.
The singer said she was treating the illness 'naturally' and was using cannabis oil made from marijuana her husband grows in California to alleviate the pain.
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The Grease star is best known for the role of the Sandy, the high school student who joins Rydell High and transforms her image from that of a modest teen to a biker chick in a bid to win the affections of love interest and leader of the T-birds Danny Zuko, played by John Travolta.
The 1978 film and its accompanying soundtrack continues to entertain and warm the hearts of fans of all ages 40 years after its release. The musical teen flick also catapulted Newton-John to international fame, although she had already scored a healthy level of success in her native Australia and in the UK.
She is also known for her hit singles 'Physical', 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' and 'You're the One That I Want'.
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The youngest of three children, she moved with her family to Melbourne when she was five.