OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN TRIBUTE - Access (August 8, 2022)
Olivia Newton-John Tribute - Access (August 8, 2022)
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00:00First of all Jane, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and talk about your friendship with Olivia
00:05This is one that has spanned years
00:08Talk to me about the beginning of that friendship. How did you two meet?
00:12my father was an obstetrician gynecologist who randomly
00:17was the doctor of her older sister Rona and
00:21Rona had a baby Emerson when she was in England, and then I think the marriage ended shortly after and
00:28My father had seen her and and said I've never seen a woman so beautiful
00:32Who just suddenly was tiny after she had a baby and this is like amazing
00:37And he really liked her and he said she sings and she has a sister in America who sings too
00:42And you're going to go to America and she's going to go to America
00:44So I've invited her over for family dinner
00:47So we we chatted and we found out we were going at the same time and she said well
00:51Come help me out with Emerson and I said sure you know she said well
00:54You will live together and share expenses and you can help me so I went fine
00:59So I then had to tell my father that the sister that sang
01:03Was somewhat famous
01:06Anyway, I went to America with her and
01:09And Olivia was on tour and she was just beyond busy. We never even saw her
01:15we couldn't find her at some point and at one point we were kind of homeless I think and
01:19With with the baby and it was it was pretty intense and then Olivia arrived and suddenly life was fantastic for Rona
01:25And I had to find somewhere else to live
01:27But we remained friends really good friends
01:29And I met Olivia and Olivia was at the height of her fame, and I was just so in awe of her
01:34I just wow that's Olivia Newton-John. I'm amazing and she was so down-to-earth
01:38She was you know just just really kind of great, and then we saw each other a bunch
01:45But the time that I really remember us bonding
01:48Was when she realized that I was pregnant and I was going to have a baby in the middle of at that time
01:53The biggest time of my career. I was on Broadway and Amadeus
01:57I had East of Eden coming out, and I just done Christopher Reeves somewhere in time nobody in their right mind has a baby
02:02They're right Jane Seymour day
02:04I did and so I bring the new baby to the beach because she was living in Malibu
02:09And she said can I and she held the baby and she looked and it was a beautiful picture
02:13I can't find but I will find and she just said how do you do it?
02:17And I went have a baby. We know how to make a baby. No. No, how do you how do you do it all?
02:22How are you going to do it?
02:23I said well
02:24I don't really know but I I think you know it's worth it
02:27And I'm going to and and so she used to talk to you about it whether she dared try and do the same thing
02:32So from then on our relationship was all about. How do you do it all mm-hmm and I realized
02:39That I've worked with tons and tons of amazing and wonderful actors and actresses
02:44But I have never had a friend a real friend that I could talk to you about
02:48everything
02:50Deeply other than Olivia, and whether it was on the phone, or she would come out
02:55I was in Singapore make doing a play she came out saw me perform there for you
03:00I I saw her countless times of course in Vegas I
03:04You know we she helped me on every show. She helped me on every show
03:09Me on every charity. I did I tried to help her never charity
03:11She did her daughter became a recording artist and needed a music video my son was a music video director
03:18They worked together, and we're behind the scenes like proud mama's going. I'm just helping my son with the equipment
03:24I'm helping my daughter trying to persuade you not to wear that dress wear something else
03:28And we're both you know we we kind of got off on the fact that we had this sort of slightly parallel lives
03:35Yeah, and then
03:37You know the ups and downs you know the
03:40when she got cancer when I had near-death experience when I
03:45had preeclampsia when
03:48You know
03:49Divorces and husbands and boyfriends and life. Yeah, we shared it all you shared it all
03:56Olivia shared so much of her spirit and energy with everyone she met I mean there was an undeniable impact
04:01That she left on those people she interacted with what do you think it is that struck a chord with?
04:06Everyone who had the pleasure of getting to know her she's real
04:10Very down-to-earth very humble very real and more interested in you than herself
04:15Mm-hmm
04:16Genuinely yeah her niece spoke to an Australian media outlet that was just this morning
04:21And she talked about how Olivia really prided herself and helping others and giving back almost more
04:26So than her singing or acting career
04:28Did you find that in the years as you got to know her that rang true for you also?
04:31Oh very much, so I mean she I think
04:35Probably before she had cancer, but definitely after she had cancer and she decided to be open about it she
04:42Had already been raising money for childhood cancers before that one of her closest friends had a child who died of a rare cancer
04:49So she was already really involved in
04:52Fundraising bringing awareness to cancer and then when she got cancer and then her sister of course and then she got it three times
05:00Olivia she
05:02you know she built this amazing hospital in Melbourne, which I went to mm-hmm and
05:07It was amazing. It's absolutely brilliant and and the thing that was really amazing, but it was also
05:14What what she embodied it was body mind and spirit
05:18They took care of your body. They had alternative and you know medical
05:24Therapies, but they also had meditation they had a very calming
05:29Atmosphere there that you know if you're going to have to go through cancer. This is where you'd want to be and I
05:36Called her up so excited from there
05:37And she was so proud of this place so proud of it and so glad I was there and then not that long
05:43Afterwards I got a call from her from there
05:45And she said you'll never guess where I am and I said where she said I'm in the hospital you went to visit
05:49I said and and she said
05:53I'm here as a patient and
05:56Then she made a joke she said you know what I'm glad I built it
06:00It's really good, and it was
06:04Really well, I'm glad you built it. Oh my goodness as you mentioned
06:09The gap cancer was something that Olivia battled bravely for years did she ever show any fear
06:18You know I
06:20think
06:23She
06:24Believed that she was going to conquer it and
06:27I think when you have a positive spirit about things you go through the stages of
06:33The shock of the diagnosis then not really understanding
06:38What what course of action having to go through it, which is debilitating ridiculously unbelievably debilitating?
06:45but
06:47She was determined that she was going to make it and she did for the longest time
06:51I mean I've spoken to so many people who knew that I was friends with hers
06:56And they'd take me aside a long time ago, and say you know your friend isn't going to live very long
07:00And I said to them you don't know my friend
07:05She is going to get every ounce out of life. Yeah and
07:10When I talked to her about surviving yet again, and would she survive or is she surviving?
07:15She said I didn't use that word. She said I called I call it thriving mm-hmm
07:19She said and that's you know so we're all going to be gone one day
07:23So right now
07:24I'm just going to grab life by the horns, and I'm just everything and you know I want to do and everything
07:29I don't want to do. I'm not going to do and
07:33She reminded me in a way of my other very close friend the late Christopher Reeve who you know
07:38Once he got through what he had to get through for himself said wait a minute. There's a lot of people here
07:43That I could help even though I'm incapacitated, and I think that's what Olivia did you know she was um
07:50You know to the last time I saw her
07:54All she could do was find help for two of my very closest friends who are going through cancer right now
08:00And that was what I was going to ask was do you remember the last time that you spoke to her or got to see?
08:04Her in person you're telling me she was trying to help other people in that moment
08:09Yes, she gave me these magical herbs that she was taking that her husband John had put together
08:14She gave me a special potion for pain she
08:18Was recommending
08:20Therapies and doctors and and got on the phone and spoke to them really yes on behalf of other people
08:27two friends and
08:28Close yeah close to me. Yes, she would get on the phone and speak to people
08:33I said they're going through this do you have any advice, and she said give me their number. Oh my god
08:37That's who she was
08:38Do you remember your last words to Olivia?
08:42See you soon. I think I mean what you know I?
08:47Knew it was a privilege for us to see her the last time I was there with my sister. She knew that
08:54That it was important for them to see her they were also close to her and
08:59She had said okay. You can come and see me, but I'm you know not really seeing anybody
09:05She asked me not to take photographs, which we didn't she was incredibly frail. She'd forgotten we were coming that day
09:12She wouldn't let us go away
09:13We waited and patiently and and whoever was helping her
09:18Kind of put some clothes on her and just got her out there
09:21And she just came out with a big smile on her face and just said I'm so happy to see you
09:25And I'm sorry she said I'm so sorry. I thought it was yesterday or tomorrow
09:30I said I said you shouldn't have got out of bed. You should have stayed. He said no
09:35I wanted to see you and and then she spent what little energy she had
09:40Asking us about us. How are you have the children? What's going on? How's your health? How's your friend?
09:46You know what can I do to help you and then we sat quietly?
09:52And she looked around she said isn't it beautiful, and I said yes, it is it's beautiful here, but she said no, but
09:59Every day I try to come out here
10:01and I just watch the hummingbirds and I just look at the birds in the sky and I
10:04and I just watch nature and look at the sky and I look at the dogs and she just
10:10She said I'm so blessed. Hmm. She said this is heaven
10:19Yeah, I mean, I'm not surprised by the unbelievable outpouring for her yeah
10:30It I knew she was gonna go, but I didn't realize
10:35That
10:37It would you know personally impact me in the way of like I can't pick up the phone and talk to her
10:43You know, I I'm glad for her that she's out of the pain
10:48Really glad I think
10:51But that was really hard to watch that. Mm-hmm
10:56You spoke of her big generous heart, which we hear so much about it's been reported on people who know her personally celebrate it
11:04What do you think her legacy will be for you individually as friends?
11:08But then also for the world at large and I'm sure that that big generous heart will be a massive part of that legacy
11:14Well, she has already built this
11:17extraordinary
11:19world of
11:22Finding
11:23alternative
11:25Remedies for cancer
11:27The world that her husband is an expert in
11:31I think her attitude towards her disease and
11:35The way that she lived her life is inspiring to everyone
11:38I think to anyone that wants to be famous just take a look at Olivia and see how you do it because
11:45She handled that
11:47You know brilliantly
11:49and I think her her legacy will be her class, you know, she was classy she was authentic and
11:57she was
11:59Giving. Yeah
12:02To sort of add on to that legacy, of course her beautiful daughter Chloe
12:07How is she doing? What did she mean to Olivia? First of all that relationship between mother and daughter. What was it like?
12:13Well mother and daughters are hot. I have I've yet to meet a mother or a daughter
12:17He's talking to mine
12:19Doesn't love that mother or their daughter more than life itself. But when you love someone more than life itself
12:27It can be the toughest relationship in the world, but
12:32100% the love that Olivia has and had for Chloe was undeniable and
12:39you know, she
12:41She was the rock of her whole family. But yes, she was really proud of Chloe. She was proud of Chloe
12:47You know dealing with changes and life and and you know everything and she was always there for her
12:53And yes super super proud of Chloe, have you been able to speak to anyone from the family? How are they doing right?
13:00I only man I I did of course leave messages right away, but
13:04but
13:05I did speak to Emerson who was Rona's baby. Mm-hmm, the baby I got
13:11And he actually called me back and he told me that they were all with her the day before she died
13:17He got there just in time. He said that she had already for at least a week
13:22Not been really able to communicate with anyone and
13:27That she was, you know had been medicated and and was very peaceful and was at home and everyone was there
13:35you know giving her the love they could and
13:38and
13:39He I I said, you know, should I talk about her because I've been asked to and he said oh, absolutely
13:44he said you knew her as long if not longer than most people and
13:49And
13:50He said, you know, you had quite an impact on my sister's on my mother's life
13:55His mother and her sister's life and and you know, you you guys had a very definite
14:01Unique connection. We never worked together, you know, yeah
14:03Well, that's what's so fascinating all those years and this was just the truest sort of friendship
14:09Considering both of your your stars right these massive stars in your industry
14:13And yet this was all from the heart purely personal all of those decades purely personal
14:18and I think what was interesting is that neither us ever feel or felt like we were stars we were just
14:24told we were
14:26Had to work a lot and sometimes things we did was successful and sometimes people recognize us
14:31but that wasn't our our thing our thing was that we because of that had a
14:37hidden unspoken language of knowing what it's like to have to get up at 4 in the morning when you're not well knowing what's
14:43Like to have to sing when your back is killing you or your kids have you know need you and you can't do something
14:50You know, whatever it is. It was like it was an unspoken
14:55Language
14:57That we could share safely with one another Wow
15:01Jane as the world grapples with the loss of Olivia and celebrates her life. What do you hope people understand most about your friend?
15:09That she was ridiculously talented
15:14Humble fun funny
15:18Generous of a time spirit and financially and
15:23that I believe she made a huge difference in the way of
15:28Dealing with cancer in terms of addressing the fact that it's not a disease
15:33It's it's the entire body mind and spirit and you have to address all three at once and it's it's a person
15:41it's a person with something that they have to learn to live with or they have to learn to
15:47Let go of and it's a process and I think she was a one of the most spiritual human beings I've ever met
16:03You