‘I’m doing great’: Olivia Newton-John denies reports she has ‘weeks to live’
Olivia Newton-John and her husband John Easterling at the sixth Wellness Walk and Research Run on September 16, 2018 in Melbourne. Photo: Getty
Olivia Newton John has made a personal video to deny widespread reports she is losing her fight with breast cancer and is close to death.
Smiling and looking relaxed, the 70-year-old took to Twitter on Thursday to reassure her fans in a short clip that “I’m doing great.”
Wishing “everyone” a happy new year, Newton-John said “I just want to say that the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated, to quote a very famous quote.
“I want to wish all of you the happiest, healthiest 2019 that’s possible. Thank you all for your wonderful love and support.”
Happy New Year! Here’s to a wonderful 2019! Love & light, Olivia pic.twitter.com/1Nd2jIcRb1
— Olivia Newton-John (@olivianj) January 3, 2019
Earlier, her singer niece Tottie Goldsmith took to Instagram late Wednesday night with the same message.
Posting a photo of herself with Newton-John, Goldsmith said “Livvy is in good health, so let’s just leave that distressing rumour where it belongs.”
She said she had her famous aunt’s permission to speak about her publicly: “You can rest assured she is going nowhere and in really good health. A sick rumour,” the former Chantoozies performer told Seven.
A representative for the iconic entertainer told People on Wednesday (US time) that reports her body is “shutting down” are “ridiculous” and “crap.”
“No, she has not”, the Grease star’s publicist Michael Caprio said when contacted about Australian and international news stories claiming Newton-John has “weeks, not months” to live.
Mr Caprio – who also counts Ian Ziering and Richard Marx as clients – laughed and called the reports “hilarious”, according to news.com.au.
Her social media manager Randy Slovacek repeated the message that it is fake news.
“We have stated over and over again publicly she’s feeling better,” he told Melbourne’s Herald Sun.
“People just seem to want to believe some dramatic turn.”
A media spokesperson for Newton-John’s Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne told The New Daily the hospital “was not aware of anything” being wrong with the star.
“It’s a personal issue. Obviously her personal and professional lives are separate, but we’re not across anything,” the spokesperson said.
“To be honest, I’ve read some of the media reports and am surprised by some of what’s been written. You’d want to get your facts straight before running stories like these.”
Olivia Newton-John dances with John Travolta at the 40th anniversary screening of Grease in August 2018. Photo: Getty
Four-time Grammy winner Newton-John was diagnosed in 2017 with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her spine.
The star also had breast cancer in 1992 and shoulder cancer in 2013.
Australian website Now to Love claimed those in Newton-John’s inner circle say she is struggling with her cancer battle.
An Australian entertainment source told The New Daily Newton-John spent a relaxing Christmas with her husband John Easterling, but would not confirm if the pair were in the US or Australia.
Newton-John sparked rumours of ill health in August when she cancelled her two-date Australian spoken word tour without explanation.
The tour, which was to feature the star speaking onstage about her life with journalist Ray Martin, had the plug pulled just three weeks after it was announced.
The show’s promoter Lateral Events said the shows were called off for “reasons beyond our control”. Newton-John has not explained what went wrong.
In September, she spoke positively about her health on Seven’s Sunrise breakfast show.
“I’m treating it naturally and doing really well,” she said, adding she prefers not to say she “battles” cancer.
“I like to say ‘win over’ because ‘battle’ sets up this inflammation and anger that you don’t want, so I’m going to win over it again,” she said.
“I have no pain and life is wonderful.”
Last month, US tabloid The National Enquirer shouted ‘The End’ in a headline and said Newton-John had retreated to her farm just outside Santa Barbara to spend her alleged last days.
Open about her most recent diagnosis, she’s said her treatments include radiation and more natural remedies including cannabis oil.
“In California it’s legal to grow a certain amount of plants for your own medicinal purposes. I’m very lucky that I live in a state where it’s legal,” she told Seven’s Sunday Night.
The star and her husband at January 2018’s G’Day USA gala in Hollywood. Photo: Getty
Mr Easterling is a “plant medicine man” who “makes me tinctures,” Newton-John said. “They help with the pain.”
Her dream is “that in Australia, soon”, medicinal cannabis will be available to all cancer patients.
Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi, 32, recently wrote a tribute to her mother in Woman’s Day.
“There is no instruction manual on how to deal with all of this, and still today Mum and I find it very difficult to talk about what she is going through,” Chloe wrote.
“But my mum has taught me the power of positive thinking and enjoying every moment. We both try to protect each other. Mum stays positive and I do my best to stay positive, too.”
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