‘How are you not broken?’: Olivia Newton-John’s incredible response to Karl Stefanovic’s question after her tragic cancer diagnosis
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An emotional Karl Stefanovic has paid tribute as he looked back on his time with Olivia Newton-John following the Australian icon’s death
The actress and singer, 73, passed away peacefully at her home in Southern Californian ranch this morning, surrounded by family and friends.
She was survived by husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi, who posted a heartwarming photo with her mum as a little girl.
Today show co-host Stefanovic was among those rocked as Australians woke up to the sad news on Tuesday morning.
‘The reach was far and wide. From down under and right around the world,’ he said.
He reminisced spending time with the Grease star for a 60 Minutes interview in 2017, where she bravely opened up about her battle with breast cancer following her second diagnosis.
The interview was touted by 60 Minutes at the time as ‘the interview of the year.’
Australians are waking up to the shock news that Olivia Newton-John has died at 73. Pictured is the last photo of her posted on her Instagram page just two days ago
The then- 68-year-old actress looked visibly strained while discussing her cancer diagnosis and the effect it has had on her family.
‘You’ve had so many battles, haven’t you? How are you not broken? Stefanovic asked.
‘Oh goodness,’ Newton-John began.
‘Come on,’ Stefanovic urged.
‘I’ve had and am having an amazing life so I have no complaints,’ she replied.
‘I really don’t. Everyone goes through something. We all have something we need to go through in life. This has been my challenge.’
She said the hardest part was breaking the news to her daughter and husband.
‘Well, that wasn’t easy. But I did deliver it in a positive way, of course,’ she said.
‘Everybody has those conversations in their life. They are hard.’
An emotional Olivia Newton-John opened up on her latest cancer battle with Karl Stefanovic in a 60 Minutes in 2017
She also opened up on using medicinal marijuana as pain relief.
‘It’s legal in more than half of America, either medicinally or recreationally so it is not hard to get,’ she said.
‘My husband is a plant medicine man. He grew cannabis for medicine man. He grew cannabis for me and made things for me to take for pain and inflammation. It has been a maligned plant all these years and it really is a magical miracle plant.
‘It helped me a lot with pain. I don’t like prescription drugs. So it’s kind of a no-brainer. It’s compassionate. It’s kind. It’s what should be available for everybody to use.’
Karl Stefanovic said he’ll forever cherish the time he spent with Olivia Newton-John for a 60 Minutes interview in 2017
Newton-John and Stefanovic also meditated in a park together and had a hit of tennis.
‘I’ll cherish those memories of Olivia Newton-John for the rest of my life,’ Stefanovic said on Tuesday morning.
‘How open she was. And how wonderful she was and how beautiful she was inside and out.
‘This woman, her family was everything. Her daughter and her extended family, nieces, nephews, the whole lot, knew her in an entirely different way and in a much more deeper way so we can only imagine what they’re going through this morning.’
Chloe Lattanzi posted this heartwarming photo with her mum Olivia Newton-John as a little girl after confirming her mother’s death aged 73