Olivia Newton-John’s Daughter Recalls Star’s Last Words to Her: ‘She Was Making Jokes’
Written by djfrosty on February 17, 2023
The world lost one of its biggest stars on Aug. 8, 2022, but Chloe Lattanzi lost her mom. About six months after Olivia Newton-John died at the age of 73, her daughter has revealed the sweet last words she ever heard the Grease sensation say to her before the star lost the ability to speak.
“The last words she could say to me was, ‘My sunshine,” Lattanzi told TODAY‘s Hoda Kotb Friday (Feb. 17) in her first TV interview since Newton-John’s death. “And right before she lost her ability to speak, she was making jokes.”
“I love my mom more than anything,” continued Lattanzi, whom Newton-John shared with ex-husband Matt Lattanzi. “She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.”
The late four-time Grammy winner had been open about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatments during her lifetime. Following her death, Newton-John’s family asked that donations be made in her honor to her cancer research foundation, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.
Before her passing, the “Physical” singer recorded a duet of “Jolene” with the song’s original singer, Dolly Parton. It was released posthumously on the same day as Lattanzi’s TODAY interview. Listen to it here.
Appearing at Lattanzi’s side during the interview was Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, who spoke tenderly about the 15 years he spent with his wife. “She had the willpower, even in her most difficult times, to really bring in the light and to bring in the love,” he said. “And she was who she was all the way through.”
“A guy I was flying with said, ‘You know, John, when you’re lucky enough to have found your true soulmate, and you share a heart, when one passes, the other has the obligation to live life for both,’” he added. “And that was very empowering and very powerful for me, and gave a way forward.”