Olivia Newton-John Was an 'Angel on Earth,' Remember Friends: 'There Will Never Be Another Like Her'
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There are plenty of things TV personality Leeza Gibbons has to cherish when it comes to Olivia Newton-John. For one, there are their shared values, which formed the basis of a 30-plus-year friendship between the stars. And there's also one final text exchange, which, for Gibbons, exemplifies all that the late Grease actress was.
"Her last text to me was, 'I'm grateful for all the love in my life. I'm such a lucky person,'" Gibbons, 65, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "Olivia personified grace and goodness. No artifice, no affectation, just an authentic, beautiful and unending source of generosity and love. There will never be another like her — a true angel on Earth."
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Newton-John died Monday at age 73, five years after announcing she had breast cancer that had metastasized to the sacrum.
Gibbons and her husband Steven Fenton recently spent a weekend with the "Physical" singer and her husband, John Easterling, at their ranch. The former Entertainment Tonight co-host says that while her friend "may have been slightly slower" in pace, her optimism still shined through like always.
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"That radiant smile and generous heart was on full display," she says. "Olivia is whip-smart and always engages others in conversations about them, rarely talking about herself. She would quickly deflect any discussion of herself or her illness. It just seemed like she had beaten the odds for so long that she could somehow be immortal."
The Celebrity Apprentice winner grew up admiring Newton-John, and "could hardly believe" her luck when the woman she long considered a "hero" became a close friend after Gibbons interviewed her for Entertainment Tonight in the late 1980s.
Over the years, the pair's friendship grew as they provided support for one another during some of the most important moments of their lives. In 2008, Newton-John invited Gibbons to join her in walking the Great Wall of China to raise money for a cancer and wellness center in Melbourne. When the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre officially opened seven years later, Gibbons was on hand to celebrate.
Courtesy Leeza Gibbons Olivia Newton-John and Leeza Gibbons
Then there was the time that Gibbons was competing on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2015, and called on Newton-John to fly cross-country for a last-minute performance on the show's season finale.
"She knew I was on the program to raise money for Leeza's Care Connection, my charity honoring my mom who died of Alzheimer's," Gibbons recalls. "Olivia didn't hesitate and said, 'Yes, I'll be there. These are the things that matter most.' She was captivating on the show, and secured my victory."
Calling the star "the kind of person who was everyone's favorite," Gibbons says that Newton-John's success still came second to the people who mattered most to her.
When her friend and collaborator Beth Nielsen Chapman was diagnosed with breast cancer, Newton-John helped the singer-songwriter navigate the difficult time.
"She didn't even give language to [cancer] in a negative way. She didn't dwell on things that she couldn't change," says Nielsen Chapman. "She was always looking outward from herself to help other people on a scale I've never seen in another human."
In the last decade, Newton-John was committed to helping fellow cancer patients access treatment and care through her Melbourne-based cancer research center.
"Her contribution was really extraordinary. Because she came on, we were able to get enormous support from the general public and from the government. As a result, we were able to build a center that incorporated three important aspects: the care of patients, of wellness and cancer research all together," says Dr. Jonathan Cebon, who was previously the medical director of the cancer services unit. "She was very well-loved by everyone, and the reason that everyone loved her was because of her enthusiasm. She was a great, great optimist."
John Shearer/WireImage John Easterling and Olivia Newton-John
Easterling announced his wife's death on Monday, saying she was surrounded by family and friends at her ranch in Southern California.
"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," his statement read. "Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."
Despite her ups and downs — all of which she faced with courage and strength — Newton-John achieved "everything she wanted," says Gibbons. "She got a true love affair and soulmate in her husband John Easterling; a successful Cancer and Wellness Center to carry out her legacy; a close relationship with the light of her life, her daughter Chloe, and final, peaceful days at the secluded ranch she loved."
