Olivia Newton-John’s mantra came from her late mother, Irene. It was this simple: “If you can help someone, you should do it.”
A shining star with a pitch-perfect voice and incredible acting skills (her performance as Sandy in Grease is one that will be revered for generations to come), a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame and a swag of awards, Olivia was so much more than an entertainer. She was a wellness warrior, a staunch animal advocate and an environmental activist.
I first met Dame Olivia in 2004, via phone interview. She was in remission from breast cancer and living the most positive, happy life. I could hear her smile down the International phone line, as well as her dogs barking in the background, as she was curled up on the sofa with her cats.
At the time, she told me her favourite song was “The Reason” by Hoobastank. I can only guess that at the time, it was when her relationship with husband, “Amazon” John Easterling, was flourishing.
The song speaks to finding someone who changes your life for the better and makes you want to become a better person. Not that Olivia could have been a more beautiful, generous or loving person, of course. She embodied everything that was good and joyous in this world. How could John not have fallen deeply in love with her?
She was, at that time, also raising money to build her now thriving Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne. The centre has helped so many people and will continue to do so for generations to come.
The Olivia Newton-John [ONJ] Foundation Fund.
Having gone through cancer treatments for 30 years on and off, Olivia was passionate about bringing kinder therapies using plant medicine to people living with cancer. So, in the years prior to her passing, she created the ONJ Foundation Fund.
I found myself chatting to her once again in 2020. She was relaxing at her ranch in California, again surrounded by her beloved animals, husband John and her gorgeous daughter Chloe Lattanzi.
She said: “I want to uncover the science behind the therapies I have been using. I feel so passionate about it. There has been research done, but it isn’t really public. So I want to raise the money, do the research and collect the science. I want to do research that will have a global impact, because cancer is a global problem.
“Sadly, there are millions of people in the same boat I am in. I know how difficult it is. I have had all different kinds of chemotherapy and radiation and I have always wondered why we can’t find kinder treatments.
“Then I met my husband, who they call “Amazon” John Easterling because he has spent many years in the Amazon rainforest and has an enormous knowledge of plants. He introduced me to plant medicine, which has been so healing and beneficial for me. It has played an amazing role in my life – I have seen the incredible beauty of plants and their healing ability. I am extraordinarily fascinated by it.
“That is why I’m so excited to focus on the Olivia Newton-John [ONJ] Foundation Fund.”
Retreatment Botanics by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia was as passionate about self-care and wellness as she was the planet and the creatures we share Mother Earth with. So, when co-creating her award winning skincare brand with Trudi Jaye, Retreatment Botanics by Olivia Newton-John, the duo was determined that every touch point was kind to the user, the planet and animals of all kind.
I was privileged to be able to work on the brand’s launch to media in 2019. As a beauty writer of over 30 years, I have tried so many different skincare ranges. Retreatment Botanics is hands-down one of the most beautiful, effective and sensorial skincare ranges I’ve ever used.
The range is certified vegan, certified cruelty-free and importantly, certified Palm Oil free by the Orangutan Alliance (OA). The OA provides support for reforestation, orangutan rescue and other meaningful projects that counteract the devastation caused by Palm Oil production.
Every step of the way, Olivia and Trudi followed the ethos that natural, effective skincare doesn’t need to hurt Mother Earth, or any living creatures.
Olivia always said: “I believe when everyone lives and creates with the principle of no harm, we can recreate an abundant, harmonious paradise for us all to share.”
No doubt, this philosophy has touched so many people globally after the shock news of her passing.
Olivia will forever be remembered as so much more than Sandy from Grease. Her smile, her shine, her kindness, her generosity and her incredible legacy will live on and benefit so many people for so many generations to come.
Dame Olivia Newton-John truly embodied the famous phrase: “Be the change you wish to see in this world.”
She will be forever in our hearts, broken they may be.
