Olivia Newton-John's Love Life Was Filled With High Highs And Low Lows

Olivia Newton-John was known for playing one of Hollywood's most iconic sweethearts as Sandy Olsson in "Grease," but the effortless charm and radiant smile that audiences fell in love with extended far beyond the screen. In her real life, Newton-John was adored by fans, cherished by her friends, and loved by a number of romantic interests over the years. The "Hopelessly Devoted To You" songstress tied the knot twice and was still married to her second husband at the time of her death at age 73. She died from metastatic breast cancer in August 2022, after an on-and-off battle with the disease for 30 years, during which she became a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness and early detection. Her experience highlighted why it's so important to do breast self-exams.

Prior to her death, Newton-John's love life was full of ups and downs. She had undeniable onscreen chemistry with her "Grease" co-star John Travolta, though the two never sparked up a real-life love affair, and instead remained close friends up until Newton-John's death. Other relationships in her life were more tumultuous, with some ending in broken-off engagements and even downright tragedy. From joyous wedding ceremonies to unimaginable loss, it's safe to say that Newton-John's love life was full of high highs and low lows.

While filming her first-ever movie role in 1965's "Funny Things Happen Down Under," Olivia Newton-John found herself smitten with her co-star Ian Turpie. She was a teenager at the time, while Turpie was in his early twenties, and they reportedly had "amazing chemistry," a friend of the Turpie family told Woman's Day in 2012. "He was Olivia's first big love," the source revealed at the time, adding, "He was bowled over by her and she fell hard for him."

But their romance eventually came to an end when Newton-John relocated to London to advance her blossoming career. The Turpie family friend said it was Newton-John's mother, Irene, who put the couple on the fast track to a breakup, telling Woman's Day in the same interview, "As soon as the romance started getting really serious she whisked Olivia off to London, leaving a broken-hearted Ian behind." The two were ultimately able to maintain a friendship, and Newton-John is said to have visited Turpie's bedside in his final days before his death in 2012.

While working in London in the late '60s, Olivia Newton-John became involved in a whirlwind romance with musician Bruce Welch, guitarist and co-founder of the English rock group The Shadows. After Newton-John caught Welch's eye while performing as the support act for his band, the pair went on to date for five years, and were even engaged at one point. But Newton-John eventually broke things off in 1972.

The breakup didn't go over well for Welch, who struggled and even attempted to take his own life after Newton-John left. "I told everyone that I was going away for the weekend and not to bother calling me, but I forgot about the window cleaner," he said in an interview in 2004, per Marie Claire. "He found me on the Tuesday ... I had taken the pills on the Sunday." Decades later, however, Welch seemed to have no hard feelings for Newton-John, as he gushed about her to The Mirror in 2019 after it was announced that she was going to be made a Dame. "She will always be Livvy to me," he said at the time."

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It was during the filming of the 1980 film "Xanadu" that Olivia Newton-John met dancer Matt Lattanzi, whom she would wind up marrying in 1984. The two were instantly smitten with each other, according to Newton-John's hairstylist Martin Samuel, who spoke with author Matthew Hild for the 2026 Olivia Newton-John biography "A Little More Love." "They just fell in love, and it was, you know, beautiful," Samuel revealed to Hild in the book (via People). He also shared that Newton-John and Lattanzi initially kept their romance a secret, spending clandestine evenings together at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel until filming wrapped.

By 1984, Newton-John and Lattanzi were married, and they welcomed their only child together, daughter Chloe, two years later. But their relationship quickly became plagued with obstacles, including Newton-John's breast cancer diagnosis and rumors that Lattanzi had an affair with their babysitter, Cindy Jessup (whom he would later marry in 1997). Newton-John and Lattanzi eventually divorced in 1995, with Newton-John later admitting she always had a feeling things wouldn't last between them because of their 11-year age difference, per People.

But even after their divorce, Newton-John and Lattanzi remained on friendly terms and established a successful co-parenting relationship. The "Physical" singer had previously told the Daily Mail, "We have tried to remain friendly because we have a child and we made a pact that she was the most important thing in our lives and that we would never fight over her." Chloe, who celebrated her 40th birthday in January 2026, has made numerous public appearances with both of her parents over the years, and like some of the sweetest pics of Hollywood moms and their kids, Chloe frequently appeared in her mom's Instagram posts when Newton-John was still alive.

In the early 2000s, Olivia Newton-John's love life took a dark turn. She had been in an on-and-off relationship with cameraman Patrick McDermott for nearly a decade when he went missing in July 2005. McDermott, 48 years old at the time of his disappearance, was headed out to sea for an overnight fishing trip off the coast of California on June 30, 2005 when he mysteriously never returned home. He was reported missing 11 days later by his ex-wife, while Newton-John was said to be in Australia at the time of his disappearance. She issued a public statement one month later that read: "I am hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I am grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much. I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward," (via Fox News).

In 2008, a Coast Guard investigation concluded that McDermott "most likely drowned at sea," according to CNN, although his disappearance was subject to a number of conspiracy theories, like rumors that he had faked his own death for financial reasons and was alive hiding in Mexico. Newton-John, however, never believed those rumors, as revealed by her friend Liona Boyd. In an excerpt of Matthew Hild's biography on Newton-John shared in People, Boyd stated, "She didn't believe all the rumors about the sightings in Mexico. She said, 'No, I don't believe that.'"

Although Olivia Newton-John's life was filled with ups and downs, from relationship woes to her decades-long battle with cancer, she was able to spend many happy years alongside the love of her life. She began dating businessman John Easterling in 2007, and by the following year, they were husband and wife. Newton-John married Easterling when she was 59 years old, putting her among other celebs who got married later in life. "I'm very lucky I have a wonderful, beautiful husband who is just so loving and fantastic," Newton-John gushed to People in 2016. "I always tell my friends you're never too old to find love. I found the love of my life at 59 going on 60! I'm grateful."

Easterling was at Newton-John's side up until her death in August 2022, which he announced in a statement posted to her Facebook page. A few days later, he penned a heartfelt message on Instagram to express his gratitude for the time he spent married to the singer. In the emotional post, Easterling referred to his late wife as the "most courageous woman" he had ever known, while writing, "In her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humor, and the will power to move things into the light ... Even now as her soul soars, the pain and holes in my heart are healed with the joy of her love and the light that shines forward."