Olivia Newton-John from 1978’s Grease state memorial was one of love and honor from stars worldwide. Sadly, one of her closest and almost inseparable pals, John Travolta , seemed absent. Worried fans are asking, “where is he?”
Tons Of Celebrity Video Tributes
During the remembrance day for the iconic singer Olivia in Australia, many fans and celebrity friends came out to honor her one last time. Following the nationally televised event, many tribute videos from celebrities like Dolly Parton, Elton John, Barry Gibb, Nicole Kidman, and Mariah Carey filled the ceremony in honor of the late star.
One Familiar Face Missing
One notable face missing in the crowd and amongst the tribute videos is that of the star actor, John Travolta. John and Olivia go way back to their hit musical film Grease , and they have been public about their close friendship. But his absence has stirred up a lot of questions that need answering.
Fans Questioning
As the ceremony continued, many fans watching had questions and comments about his absence. One fan wrote on Twitter, “Any thoughts why John Travolta didn’t get a mention at all bar in the career highlights montage? No message, no mention?” While another shared, “Did I miss something from John Travolta… I thought he was supposed to say something… ?”
Tense Relationship With John Easterling
According to reports from Woman’s Day , there are high tensions between Travolta and Olivia’s husband, John Easterling. A source shared with the reporters that the star actor and Easterling “have a tense relationship” and do not “see eye to eye,” which explains much about Travolta’s absence.
Travolta’s Public Declarations
Travolta might have unknowingly put himself as a target for Easterling after his continuous public declaration of admiring the late singer. An insider revealed that Easterling was never fond of the relationship Travolta shared with his wife: “Travolta’s close relationship with Olivia, which he talked about publicly and often, may not have sat well with her husband.”
Jealousy Or Insecurity?
Whether jealousy, insecurity, or pure anger towards Travolta, it is clear that Easterling wasn’t having any of the friendship they shared. The same insider also shared that Easterling was uncomfortable with the long tribute Travolta shared on social media after her passing on August 8, 2022. The source says, “put yourself in his shoes,” that was “the straw that broke [Easterling’s] back.”
Travolta’s Tribute
Upon the announcement of the passing of Olivia, her close pal, and Grease lover, Travolta, shared some passionate tribute to her via his Instagram .
The Golden Globe award-winning actor shared a picture of Olivia on his page and captioned it with, “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
The Special Birthday Tribute
As if that was not enough, on her birthday, Travolta also shared a posthumous special birthday post for her 74th birthday last year on his Instagram story. The Urban Cowboy star shared a picture of himself and Olivia in their 1979 role as Danny and Sandy in Grease . He captioned the post on his story with, “Happy birthday my Olivia.”
Olivia and Travolta
The two stars first met in 1978 on the set of their hit movie Grease , and for the next 44 years, the pair maintained a strong relationship. Within that long time, there were rumors of an emotional interest between them.
Olivia And Easterling
Founder and president of Amazon Herb Company met his late wife Olivia Newton-John over a decade later than Travolta in the mid-90s. But, his marriage to the Let It Shine singer didn’t happen until June 2008 in Peru, followed by a legal ceremony in the Jupiter Islands of Florida nine days later.
Deep Bond During First Met
Speaking about her first contact with Travolta, Olivia shared that he persuaded her to be in the movie despite her age and previous movie missteps. She said, “in person, John Travolta radiates pure joy and love. That day, he greeted me with a big hug like we were already lifelong friends. How could you say no to John Travolta?”
Rumors Of Their Special Connection
During the filming of their hit movie together, rumors began to spread about a love interest between the stars. At a wrap party for the film, the pair were spotted to have shared a passionate kiss. Then, in 2018, an alternative ending to their movie surfaced, showing a raunchy kissing scene between Olivia and Travolta.
Don’t Stop Believin’
Olivia never dismissed any rumored relationship with the star outrightly. In her autobiography Don’t Stop Believin , she wrote, “Yes, we really liked each other and there was an attraction.”
Travolta’s Confirmation
Back in 2019, Travolta also confirmed that there was a connection beyond friendship with Olivia in the past. Confirming it, the star actor said you could see it in one iconic number, “I think you saw that in ‘ You’re the One That I Want .’ There’s almost resolve of that tension right there.”
Co-star’s Comments
Not only did the fans suspect a connection between them, but their co-star in their movie, Did Conn, who played Frenchie, revealed they were intimate on set. He talks about the deleted kiss scene saying it wasn’t scripted, “you see, for a moment, she’s surprised, and then she responds. It’s juicy, and it’s great. They weren’t acting in that moment; it was like he had his chance and he was going to take it. It was real, it really was.”
Newton Was Okay With How Things Were
After her marriage to Easterling in 2018, Olivia opened up about her supposed fling with Travolta — happy they never acted on their passion at the time. She says to Mia Freedman on the No Filter podcast, “we were both with other people when we were filming, and I think, respectfully, it just didn’t happen.”
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She also added, “I think it was good because I think it kept the tension there and the chemistry. It might have been a real disaster had we decided to date, or we had a falling out or something. So I think it was just as well that it didn’t happen. But we’re still great friends.”
It Never Went Beyond Friendship
Still speaking on the podcast, Olivia says, “The truth is, it never went beyond friendship with John despite the fact that the fans wanted for us to become a couple in real life.” Adding, “We left the making out to Sandy and Danny, but the deep feeling of sisterly love I have for John continues to this day.”
A Brother And Sister Bond
She also described her relationship with Travolta to Mia Freedman as a “brother and sister” bond. But, there was a clear mutual feeling between the co-stars that they refused to act on.
Sense Of Loss
John Travolta once referred to Olivia Newton-John as “every man’s dream,” It will be no surprise that he still feels the loss of a close friend. When it’s time for another posthumous birthday for Olivia, fans will know whether Travolta still thinks of her if he makes a birthday tribute to her.
