John Easterling has opened up about how he is coping with the loss of his late wife Olivia Newton-John six months after her death.
The Grease star died in August 2022 aged 73, many years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Appearing on the Today show on Friday (17 February), Newton-John’s husband Easterling told Hoda Kotb that he feels his wife “the most now”, especially “late at night or early in the morning”.
The 70-year-old, who took part in the chat alongside Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi, explained: “I’ll just be walking around the house or throwing the ball for the dogs and just speak to her out loud,” he explained.
Holding Lattanzi’s hand during the interview, he added: “A guy I was flying with said, ‘You know, John, when you’re lucky enough to have found your true soul mate, and you share a heart, when one passes, the other has the obligation to live life for both.’”
He explained: “That was very empowering and very powerful for me and gave a way forward.”
The interview marked Easterling’s first TV appearance since the Xanadu star’s death.
Newton-John and Easterling were introduced in the Nineties but did not start dating immediately. They eventually wed in 2008 and were married for 15 years before the star died.
Her treatment for breast cancer, which included a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction, inspired the creation of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, where she grew up.
At the time of Newton-John’s death, Easterling shared an emotional tribute to his “courageous” wife on social media.
In the caption of the post, he shared details about their relationship, noting how he and Newton-John would express their “gratitude” for each other on a daily basis. He also addressed how he was “in awe of this great mystery,” referring to their marriage.
“Our love for each other transcends our understanding. Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural,” he wrote. “We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever.”
