Olivia Newton-John’s widower John Easterling has revealed he still speaks to his late wife.
“I feel her early in the morning when I wake up,” John told Closer magazine about the beloved singer who passed away in August 2022.
“I receive messages, if you will, from her. They’re always very encouraging, very positive and comforting to me in a big way.”
John, 71, chose to spend their 15th wedding anniversary in Peru, where he and Olivia married on top of a mountain in an Incan spiritual wedding ceremony.
“A hummingbird came and hovered. I could almost reach out and touch it,” he recounted, adding that it felt as if the tiny bird – which was significant in their relationship – was delivering a message.
“It came in like, ‘Live life, love life’ and then it flew away.”
John, a healer and plant medicine researcher, first met Olivia on a blind date in 1995 and was surprised by how down to earth she was, “she had such a great sense of humour and was a really warm, personable human being”.
A tireless cancer campaigner, the pop singer created the Olivia Newton John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, which provides support for cancer patients and funding into research on plant medicine for cancer.
It’s work her daughter Chloe Lattanzi “has really helped carry forward”, says John, adding that her mum would be proud of her, despite Olivia tragically losing her own life to the disease after multiple battles with cancer.
Olivia and John bonded over their love of nature and animals and split their time between California and Florida, with regular visits to Australia.
He says he misses the Grease star’s uplifting spirit the most.
“I miss her voice, her touch and her sense of humour,” says John. “I miss her puttering around the house and spontaneously breaking into song.”
