Olivia Newton-john Cu Curse urse continues
The singer has been hiding a secret guilt – and it’s tearing her apart
It was a tragedy that chilled Olivia Newton-john to the bone, and almost four years later, she’s still deeply affected by the terrible event that occurred under her own roof.
In 2013, Olivia’s building contractor and friend Christopher Pariseleti took his own life in her Florida home, leaving her so rattled she flew in a Catholic priest to exorcise the house. Now Woman’s Day can reveal the real reason the tragedy has had such a lasting impact on the legendary Australian entertainer – before he died, Christopher had emailed Olivia and her husband John Easterling begging them for money.
According to sources, 68-yearold Olivia is still haunted by correspondence from her builder and “right-hand man” Christopher, in which he asked for a loan to boost his sinking construction business.
Just six days after he sent the email, the father-of-two fatally shot himself in the spare room of her house. The horrific event hit headlines around the globe, and Olivia’s home was branded “cursed”.
According to never-before-seen court documents, on August 13, 2013, Christopher wrote: “John and Olivia. My construction business is doing very well. I now have an office, a bookkeeper and four full-time employees. Also I have 8 jobs running right now and bidding for more in the future. I really need working capital. I was wondering if I could loan 300k [AU$404,000], I could pay you back 11k a month for the next 30 months.
“If this is something you could help me with great, if not no worries at all. I appreciate everything you have done for me and my business. Thanks Chris.”
Olivia and John later told police they “hadn’t decided to lend the money yet, but were strongly considering it”.
It’s believed the couple had just convinced Chris, 41, to sign a three-year warranty for all future work needed on their $7.5 million home, which was in the final days of a sale to actress Rosie O’donnell. It’s thought the builder was worried his business wouldn’t cope financially if anything went wrong.
“The $300k from Olivia would have provided a buffer for Chris,” says a source. “He figured they were doing each other a favour – she gets a quick, clean sale on the house, and he won’t be at risk with the bank.”
According to sources, Chris seemed optimistic that there would be a loan from Olivia, but he soon began to fear that no deal would be finalised.
“Chris was a happy, friendly guy, but he had a lot riding on that loan,” a source says. “I spoke to him the day before he died and he was very positive – then this happened.”
After the suicide, Rosie pulled out of the deal and the singer struggled to sell the property, eventually accepting a reduced price of $6.7 million in late 2015.
Sources say Olivia continues to be wracked with guilt over the way she handled Chris’s request for support. “She stays in touch with Chris’s wife, Silvia,” says a source. “They even had an exorcism at the house to help her move on – and probably to soothe the fears of potential buyers.”
D Despiteit thi this, th those closel tot Olivia say she still “loses sleep” over the horrific turn of events.
“Olivia might be a big celebrity but she also has a big heart, and she can’t bear the pain this has put a nice family through,” says a source. “She often revisits that email and obsessively goes over the what-ifs. No one could have predicted that outcome.”
It’s been a tough few weeks for Olivia, who was forced to cancel concerts due to a long-running battle with sciatica. “I need to take this time to rest and deal with this very painful condition,” she wrote in a Facebook post apologising to her fans.
Last week, Olivia’s daughter Chloe Latanzzi, 31, took to social media to assure the public her mum isn’t giving in. “I just wanted to let u know my mom is ok for those that have enquired. She’s a fighter. Always has been. Thank u for your love and concern. I’m passing your love onto her,” Chloe wrote.
‘Olivia has a big heart and she can’t bear the pain this has put a nice family through’