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AUSTRALIA - The daughter of Olivia Newton-John has admitted she feels like a ‘little girl lost without her mother’ as she paid tribute to the late singer and other stars fought back tears talking about the Aussie icon at her State memorial.
An emotional Chloe Lattanzi (37), was assisted by her husband as she walked on stage and broke down in tears at Hamer Hall in Melbourne on Sunday.
Newton-John was being farewelled in an emotional state service six months on from her death at the age of 73 in August, following a brave and decades-long battle with cancer. ‘‘I stand
LOS ANGELES - Will Smith nabbed his first major award since the fallout from his infamous Oscars slap as he took home the Outstanding Actor gong at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The 54-year-old star was a no-show at the ceremony, where he was honored for his performance in the historical action thriller ‘Emancipation’.
Smith’s performance in the film has been snubbed by both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, and he is banned from attending the Oscars next month.
On behalf of Smith, Janelle Monae (37), said: ‘Will Smith could not be with us this evening. So we accept this on your behalf. Congratulations.” Shortly after his win was revealed, Smith took to Instagram to thank the NAACP, writing: “I am absolutely humbled by this!!’”
Beyond Smith’s surprise win, Serena Williams (41), was the highlight of the evening – delivering a powerful speech as the Jackie Robinson Sports Award recipient. Serena looked gorgeous in her black velvet dress with a sexy thigh-high slit and sheer bustier. After accepting the award from Kerry Washington, the tennis superstar kicked off her speech by cracking a joke about not winning at the US Open.
‘‘I haven’t held up a trophy in a long time,’’ she said. ‘‘Do I do it like this? (Laughs) Thank you. It’s such an honour to have a friend present this award to me today. I am incredibly grateful for your incredible kind words and your unwavering support over the years.’’
In addition to athletic achievement, the Jackie Robinson Sports Award recognizes individuals for their pursuit of social justice and civil rights, along with their community involvement. Williams continued: ‘‘Thank you to the NAACP, which continues to accelerate change with important areas such as health care, education, sports, the economy and so, so much more.’’ here before you so desperately wanting to feel strong and confident and speak eloquently, but the truth is I feel like a little girl lost without her mother,’’ Lattanzi said.
‘She was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the earth beneath my feet. I know she is here standing beside me and within me. I can hear her voice.
‘‘I love laughing with my mum. We shared the same cackle. She didn’t tell dirty jokes but she laughed the hardest at them.’’
Lattanzi said her mum was the ‘perfect example of a life truly lived’ even if her life was tragically cut short by cancer. “My mum could find the beauty in everything,” she said.
“I loved our snuggles. I would crawl into bed with her late at night even until I was 20 years old. I loved the way she smelled. Nothing felt safer to me. I loved writing music and singing with her and how she would always notice if I was slightly off key.
‘‘I loved how she loved fully and completely. And I know that she would want me to tell each and every one of you how grateful she was for each individual special relationship.’’
Singer Delta Goodrem was among the attendees who fought back tears as she paid tribute to Newton-John outside of the venue as she arrived shortly before the start of the memorial.