About the song
Olivia Newton-John: The Truth About My Cancer
When Olivia Newton-John first heard the word cancer, her world stood still. It was 1992 — she was 43 years old, at the height of her fame, with a voice that had charmed the world and a smile that lit up every room. “I thought my life was over,” she later admitted. “The word itself was terrifying. But I decided right then that fear wasn’t going to be the thing that defined me.”
In her first interview where she truly opened up, Olivia revealed the truth behind her decades-long battle — not just with illness, but with the emotional storm that comes with it. “Cancer changed everything,” she said softly. “It stripped away what didn’t matter. It showed me who I was and what I was capable of surviving.”
Olivia’s fight began with a diagnosis of breast cancer in 1992, discovered shortly after her father’s death. “The grief and the fear came all at once,” she recalled. “But I realized I had a choice — to give up, or to live every day like a blessing. I chose life.”
After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, Olivia sought healing not only in medicine but in nature and spirituality. “I didn’t see myself as a patient,” she explained. “I saw myself as a whole person. I started meditating, eating clean, spending time outdoors, and surrounding myself with positivity. Healing is not just physical — it’s emotional and spiritual, too.”
For more than 20 years, she stayed cancer-free — until 2013, when the disease returned, this time in her shoulder. And then, in 2017, she faced her most difficult chapter: a third diagnosis, with cancer metastasized to her spine. “It was devastating,” she confessed. “But again, I thought, I’ve been here before. I know what to do. I will face it with love, not fear.”
The “truth,” Olivia said, wasn’t about pretending to be strong — it was about accepting the vulnerability that comes with illness. “People call me brave, but I have my days,” she said. “Days when I cry, when I’m scared. But I’ve learned that allowing yourself to feel is part of healing.”
With the unwavering support of her husband, John Easterling, she embraced holistic medicine — combining conventional treatment with plant-based remedies and natural therapies. “John is my rock,” she smiled. “He grows healing herbs, and together we believe in the power of nature. I truly believe love itself has healing energy.”
Olivia also turned her pain into purpose, founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne — a sanctuary that treats the mind, body, and spirit of patients. “My dream was to create a place of hope,” she said. “When people walk in, I want them to feel cared for, not afraid.”
Even in her hardest moments, Olivia radiated grace. “Cancer has taught me gratitude,” she said. “Every sunrise feels like a miracle. I don’t know how long I have — but none of us do. So I choose to live with joy, with faith, and with love.”
Her truth, spoken with the gentleness that defined her life, was clear: “I don’t see cancer as my enemy anymore. It’s my teacher. It taught me how precious life really is.”
