Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated
Grease star Olivia on health fears
OLIVIA Newton-john has dismissed speculation over her health amid reports that she is close to death.
The Grease actress, 70, recently revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
But in a New Year’s video message, she said yesterday: “I just want to say that rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated, to quote a famous quote.”
In September 2018, the mum of one revealed doctors had found a tumour in her lower back the previous year.
Recent reports suggested the Australian star’s death was imminent.
One US outlet went as far as saying she was clinging on to see daughter Chloe Lattanzi, 32, get married.
It was claimed: “Olivia’s bodily functions appear to be shutting down, but she refuses to let go until she makes it through Chloe’s wedding day.”
Another report in her native Australia said she has “a prog- nosis of weeks, not months”. But Olivia, who has a cancer centre in her name in Melbourne, Australia, dismissed this.
After referring to the quote attributed to writer Mark Twain, she told fans: “I’m doing great and want to wish all of you the happiest, healthiest 2019 possible.
“Thank you all for your wonderful love and support for me and for my Cancer and Wellness Centre.” The singer was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, having a partial mastectomy and reconstruction. It returned in 2013.
Olivia has previously said she was treating the disease “naturally”.
She was alleviating pain with cannabis oil made from marijuana that her businessman husband John Easterling legally grows in California, where they live.
She also said she had cut sugar from her diet in a bid to overcome the cancer, but had radiation treatment too. Olivia
DISMISSES REPORTS ON HEALTH
said: “I believe I will win over it.” She also said she hoped Australia would legalise medical marijuana.
The actress was born in the UK, in Cambridge, before moving to Australia when she was five.
She most famously played high school student Sandy Olsson in the film Grease, alongside John Travolta’s Danny Zuko. Their co-star Didi Conn, who played Frenchy in the 1978 musical, backed Olivia’s message yesterday, saying: “She is well. She’s doing great. She’s lying a little low, but she’s full of life.”
Didi, 67, who will compete on Dancing on Ice, which returns to ITV on Sunday, added: “When she took some time off she said: ‘I’m going to be back in six months.’ It wasn’t even six months, it was four and a half.”