Olivia Newton-John has entertained the world for over five decades. The singer, actress, and cancer survivor is reflecting on her career in her new book “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
Newton-John, who turns 71 this fall, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. It came back in 2013 and again in 2017 when it spread to her sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine. Nine months ago, she fractured her pelvis, a result of weakened bones caused by cancer.
“I’m doing great,” she said. “It’s unlikely you ever get rid of it all but you can live with it and that’s what I’m doing.”
She’s eating healthy, walking daily, and taking supplements and medicine prescribed by her doctor. She also uses medical marijuana grown by her husband John Easterling.
“It’s helped me immensely with everything,” said Newton-John, who used marijuana to wean herself off morphine after her bone break. “I want people to know it’s possible.”
She’s grateful for the love and support she receives from Easterling and her daughter Chloe.
“I don’t know what I would have done without my family, my husband,” Newton-John said. “They’re supportive and life goes on, and I’m just so, so lucky.”
A gift
The “Grease” and “Xanadu” star takes a positive approach to life and says, oddly enough, she’s grown from her experience with cancer.
“It’s really a gift because it created so many things in my life that I wouldn’t have thought about,” said Newton-John, who’s passionate about wellness for the body, mind, and spirit.
She’s the namesake of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
“I have big dreams that we’ll see a cancer intervention in my lifetime,” she said. “That’s my ultimate dream.”
Auction
Newton-John’s many accolades include winning four Grammy Awards, selling more than 100 million albums, and creating 10 No. 1 hits like “Physical,” which was a chart-topper for 10 consecutive weeks, making it the No. 1 single of the 1980s.
Over her long career, she’s collected lots of costumes and other memorabilia. Now she’s now auctioning off a lot of that swag, with a large percentage of the proceeds benefiting her cancer center.
The Julien’s Auction takes place Nov. 1 and 2 in Los Angeles. There are 200 items up for bid, including the black leather jacket and skin tight pants she wore in “Grease,” as well as her original script from the iconic film and a custom “Pink Ladies” jacket the film’s cast and crew presented to her.
Bid in-person or online at juliensauctions.com.