London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2025

'Grease' co-stars, friends and fans pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John

'Grease' co-stars, friends and fans pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John

Hollywood icons joined fans worldwide to mourn the loss of Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer and "Grease" star, who died Monday at her ranch in Southern California at age 73.

In Los Angeles, fans placed flowers on Newton-John's Hollywood star as those who had worked with her throughout the years shared memories and condolences on social media.

John Travolta, who played Newton-John's love interest in "Grease," shared an emotional tribute on Instagram. "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," he wrote. "Your impact was incredible. I love you so much."

Another of her "Grease" co-stars, Barry Pearl -- who played T-Bird Doody -- broke down as he remembered his friend during an interview with the Today Show on CNN affiliate 9.

"Everything sounds so trite when you discuss who she is and what she was, but it is so because it's so profoundly true ... a heart that was so giving and loving," Pearl said.

People lay flowers by the star of late actor Olivia Newton-John on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California.


"Grease" casting director Joel Thurm became emotional when asked how he would remember the star, saying she was "kind, absolutely wonderful, and courteous to everybody."

Newton-John's death is being felt especially deeply in Australia, where she grew up. Born in England, she moved with her family to Melbourne, Australia at age 5 and as a teen, she appeared on weekly pop music shows in the country.

In a tweet, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Newton-John "a big part of the Australian soundtrack."

Australia House in London said Newton-John, who was made a dame by the Queen in 2019 for her services to charity and cancer research, brought Britons and Australians together. "Dame Olivia inspired us in song and brought us together as one," the official account tweeted.

The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, where flags were set at half-staff Tuesday, said in a statement, "Olivia touched the lives of many people across Australia and the world, but none more so than our cancer services staff and patients at the Olivia Newton-John Centre, who she encouraged, inspired and supported every day."

Kylie Minogue, one of Australia's most successful musicians whose early career was often compared to Newton-John's, shared a photo of the two of them from the Royal Bicentennial Concert in 1988. "Since I was ten years old, I have loved and looked up to Olivia Newton John. And, I always will ... She was, and always will be, an inspiration to me in so many, many ways," Minogue tweeted.

Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem, who played Newton-John in a 2018 TV biopic, posted a heartfelt tribute on Twitter.

"The whole world will feel this heartbreak today because the entire world felt Olivia's unmatched light. A force for good. A force of nature. Strong and kind. My mentor, my friend, my inspiration, someone who always guided me... always there. Family to me.... I love you forever," Goodrem shared with a photo of her and Newton-John together.


Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin took to Twitter to honor Newton-John, her co-star in the 1996 movie "It's My Party." "I am SO saddened at the news of the passing of Olivia Newton John. I remember being so star struck when I met her at my first Hollywood gathering for Paramount. She was the sweetest and brightest light and I loved getting to know her on 'It's My Party.' RIP dear, sweet Olivia," Matlin wrote.

Dionne Warwick, who recorded a duet with Newton-John in 2006, called her a "dear friend" and "one of the nicest people" she had the pleasure of recording and performing with. "Another angelic voice has been added to the Heavenly Choir," she added.


Star Wars actor Mark Hamill tweeted, "Everything she did was infused with a joyousness that was absolutely contagious. We loved her & she loved us. #RIP_OliviaNewtonJohn."

Julianne Hough, who played Sandy in the 2016 TV remake "Grease Live!," shared a few photos of herself and Newton-John on Instagram, writing, "Like so many, Olivia has always been my hero. Discovering her magnetic energy as an artist and actress came first but it was her heart that truly captured mine. Forever an icon and legend!"

On Twitter, Oprah Winfrey recalled "a spontaneous dinner" she hosted in 2019 after an interview about Newton-John's cancer diagnosis. In the post, Oprah noted "her positivity was just infectious."


Jane Lynch, who sang Newton-John's hit song "Physical" with her on "Glee," tweeted simply, "ONJ. Angel."

RuPaul's Drag Race shared a picture from Newton-John's time as a guest judge for an episode of the show in 2015, tweeting, "Rest in peace, Olivia Newton-John. Thank you for sharing your talent and inspiring us all."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Legal Storm Over Trump Speech Edit
UK Prime Minister Attempts to Reassert Authority Amid Internal Labour Leadership Drama
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
×