VIA NBC NEWS
Dame Olivia Newton-John, a British Australian pop star who dominated the pop culture of an era, has died after repeated treatments for cancer, her husband announced Monday. She was 73.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Newton-John was one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. She stole hearts in the 1978 blockbuster “Grease” and dominated the charts with songs like the 1981 hit “Physical,” which was the No. 1 single of that decade, according to Billboard.
She is credited with selling more than 100 million records over the course of a five-decade career.
Newton-John began to become an advocate for cancer research in 1991, after the tragic death of her best friend’s daughter from a rare childhood form of the disease. But it became an even more personal cause a year later, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time.
After going into remission, cancer returned two more times, in 2013 and 2017.
“I think, you know, what you think creates your reality. So it’s a decision. You have to make that decision,” she told the “TODAY” show in March 2019. “You can be a victim, or you can be a winner and enjoy your life.”
“We’re all going to die. That’s probably the hardest thing to accept as a human being,” Newton-John told “TODAY” in March 2019. “I’m 70 and I’ve had the most amazing life, and I have extra time. So whatever that is, I’m grateful for it.”
