Olivia Newton-John died Monday at her ranch in Southern California, her publicist confirmed to CBS News. She was 73.
No cause of death was given in a statement on her official Facebook page, but Newton-John had been open about her decades-long battle with breast cancer.
“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,” the statement on Facebook said.
Newton-John burst onto the Hollywood scene with her role as Sandy opposite John Travolta’s Danny in the 1978 blockbuster, “Grease.”
A four-time Grammy Award-winner, the English-Australian superstar sold 100 million albums with songs like “I Honestly Love You,” and “Have You Never Been Mellow.” She also scored huge hits in the 1980s with “Physical” and “Magic.”
Travolta posted a tribute to her on Instagram, writing: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!”
CBS via Getty Images
In a 2019 interview, “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King asked the actress how she had coped with her breast cancer diagnosis.
“Denial is really good!” Newton-John laughed. “It’s really healthy! But it was consuming my day. And after a time, I went, ‘You know what? I don’t know what my time is, but I need to enjoy my life. So, I’m going to eat a cookie if I want it. And I’m gonna have a cup of tea if I want it. And if I wanna have a little bit of wine, I’m gonna do that.’ Because the joy of life and everyday living has to be a part of that healing process as well.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
