It’s been over five months since Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73 after being diagnosed with cancer three times.
And on Saturday night, John Easterling called his late wife “the bravest and most compassionate woman” he had ever met. during an emotional tribute to the singeractress, singer and activist at the 20th anniversary G’Day USA Arts Gala in Los Angeles, according to Mirror.
The event, which was also attended by Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, included a musical tribute featuring a medley of the Grease and Xanadu star’s biggest hits, performed by Australian musician Delta Goodrem, according to Variety.
Tribute: John Easterling called his late wife, Olivia Newton-John, “the most courageous and compassionate woman” he had ever known during an emotional tribute to the Grease star at the 20th anniversary G’Day USA Arts Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.
It was during that tribute that Easterling, 70, opened up and shared about the love story he and Newton-John shared during their lifetime.
“Olivia and I fell unexpectedly, madly, deeply in love forever in the Amazon jungle,” she revealed to the entranced crowd.
“For the past 15 years, I have been lucky enough to share the depth and passion of his being,” he continued. ‘Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic. Every day with Olivia was supernatural.
Emotional: Easterling, who attended the event with Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi, opened up and shared about the love story he and Newton-John shared
Reflecting on his life and relationship during the tribute, Easterling revealed that his late wife dedicated her time, name and effort to cancer research centers in both Australia and the United States.
“There’s an old adage that like attracts like, and Olivia knew her voice and wide profile of talents were a gift,” said the Jupiter, Florida native, before adding, “Her legacy continues as a joyful and healing spirit that is continually focused on moving things, in his words, “towards love and light”.
The grieving businessman would also describe her as having “a reassuring ability to genuinely care about other people.”
Love story: “Olivia and I fell unexpectedly, madly and deeply in love forever in the Amazon jungle,” Easterling, 70, revealed during the event; they would end up getting married in June 2008
Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. And in the wake of her recovery, she became an advocate for research into breast cancer and other health issues.
Easterling, who is the founder and president of the Amazon Herb Company, would end up meeting Newton-John a few years later, in the mid-’90s.
They married in a spiritual Inca ceremony in Peru in June 2008, followed by a legal ceremony nine days later on Jupiter Island in Florida.
Her Journey: “For the past 15 years, I’ve been lucky enough to share the depth and passion of her being,” the Florida native told the crowd. ‘Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic. Every day with Olivia was supernatural’
More than 25 years had passed since her breast cancer diagnosis when Newton-John made the shocking announcement that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer again in 2017. It was during this time that she revealed that she had had a recurrence of the disease four years earlier. . , but he had decided to keep the news private.
Sadly, the If You Love Me, Let Me Know star revealed that her third diagnosis had metastasized, spreading to her bones and progressing to Stage IV.
Newton-John finally died at his beloved ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley on August 8, 2022, with Easterling by his side.
RIP: After being diagnosed with cancer three times, Newton-John finally died on her beloved ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley last August, with Easterling by her side.