Olivia Newton-John’s net worth reflects her enormous impact as a household name and multi-talented Hollywood star.
Olivia Newton-John reigned for many years as one of the biggest stars of her generation. The multi-talented star was a very successful singer, songwriter, and movie star. The news of Olivia’s demise on August 8, 2022, shook the industry; however, she lived a life worthy of emulation.
Olivia, born in Australia, started singing in her teens before moving to England in the mid-1960s. There, as a relatively new act, she performed in clubs and on television. Her first big break into the American music scene started with the release of her third solo album, “Let Me Be There,” in 1973. The album’s title track earned her a Grammy Award for best country female vocal performance.
Afterward, she started building on her initial success with the release of further projects. Olivia’s success continued with the release of top tracks like “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “I Honestly Love You,” which won the 1984 Grammy record of the year.
Although Olivia has starred in a couple of movies, she could not replicate her musical success in the movie industry. However, that all changed when she got cast in the 1978 film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Grease.”
The singer portrayed virtuous cheerleader Sandy opposite actor John Travolta who played Danny, a rough around the edges but tender greaser. Fans and Critics praised their performance, and today, “Grease” is one of the most successful musicals in movie history.
After years of making albums and movies, Olivia took a break in the mid-1980s. She subsequently launched a clothing store called Koala Blue and started her own family. Then, after a while, she returned to the entertainment scene, where she remained a big draw for decades.
Olivia Newton-John’s Net Worth
Olivia enjoyed a lot of success in her entertainment career as a recording artist and actress. She is regarded as one of the best-selling artists in history, selling more than 120 million records.
Throughout her career, she released a total of 25 albums with top charting songs like “Physical,” “I Honestly Love You,” and “Have You Never Been Mellow.” She also starred in multiple notable movies, including “Grease,” regarded as one of the best-selling musicals of all time.
Olivia was also a successful movie producer; her works include the 2001 television film “The Wilde Girls” and the 2009 documentary “Big River Man.” According to Celebrity Net Worth, Olivia Newton-John’s had a net worth of $60 million.
Olivia Almost Missed Out On “Grease.”
Although Olivia was already a big recording artist before starring in “Grease,” the movie remains the biggest highlight of her career. Over 40 years since its release, “Grease” is still the highest-grossing film musical ever made.
Yet, when Olivia released her autobiography, the Hollywood star revealed she almost did not star in the movie. Instead, according to Olivia, she met the film director Alan Carr at a dinner party where he suggested she would be the perfect person to play Sandy.
However, Olivia, 28, would star opposite Travolta, who was 23 years old at the time. The idea did not feel good to Olivia, who noted she could not play a high school girl at her age.
Also, most of her movies before then had bombed, and she was scared “Grease” might turn out the same way. Surprisingly, everything changed when Carr sent Travolta to talk to her. Olivia wrote:
“I went outside to be greeted by those piercing blue eyes and the warmest smile on the planet. 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?”
Afterward, they agreed to a screen test to decide if they had on-screen chemistry. However, before they even said a word, everyone on set could see how perfect they looked together. The duo had an electric connection, and it’s no surprise the movie did so well commercially.
Olivia and Travolta Were Deeply Attracted To Each Other
Olivia and Travolta’s connection was very easy to notice for people who watched them star in “Grease.” But, undeniably, the duo also felt the pull they had for one another. After “Grease” was released in 1978, the duo became the subject of persistent romance rumors.
However, Olivia and Travolta never took their relationship physically. Instead, they remained very close friends for 44 years keeping their relationship strictly platonic. I’m her autobiography “Don’t Stop Believn,” Olivia stated the reason she and Travolta never hooked up despite their connection. The music star stated:
“Yes, we really liked each other, and there was an attraction, but we would never date because we were both involved with other people at the time, and both of us have a loyalty streak that runs deep.”
Yet, throughout the filming period, the duo enjoyed a strong flirtation that everyone could see. They also helped each other out, with Travolta once messing up a scene to silently encourage Olivia to do better in the next take.
Olivia noted that they almost got intimate with each other multiple times throughout filming but never crossed the line. She explained that life offered them wrong timing, and they had to leave it as friends.
Olivia Battled Cancer For Three Decades
Olivia’s battle with cancer started in 1992 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The singer, 44 at the time, initially did not want to make the information public. However, when she learned a publication was going to write she was dying of cancer, Olivia disclosed her diagnosis.
She underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and breast reconstruction. All these procedures helped, and she went into remission for about 20 years after her initial diagnosis.
Sadly, in 2013, Olivia’s cancer returned. According to the actress, she noted a lump on her right shoulder but thought it was from a minor traffic accident she had earlier tha year. However, further tests showed that her cancer had returned.
In 2015, Olivia created “The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center.” The center, situated in Melbourne, runs hundreds of clinical trials for brain, bowel, breast, and other cancers. It also offers inpatient wards and serves as an outpatient ambulatory center.
Olivia received further bad news when she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2017. However, the star maintained s positive stance that she would recover and her journey would inspire others.
In 2020 she and her husband created the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund to help research plant medicine and how it can help treat cancer. Sadly, just two years later, on August 8, 2022, the veteran star succumbed to the disease aged 73. The family has since asked for donations to be made to her foundation to honor her memory.