Olivia Newton-John Opens Up About Breast Cancer Diagnosis as She Rewears Iconic Grease Costume
Olivia Newton-John was just 28 years old when she first slipped into her famous black leather outfit for Grease‘s closing number.
Nearly four decades later, the 71-year-old still fits into the iconic ensemble.
“They live again! They live again!” the English-born Australian star exclaimed after emerging in her leather pants and jacket during her interview with Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning.
Before attempting to put on her famous look, Newton-John explained that during filming she had to be stitched into the pants every time she put them on.
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“I was a pretty skinny girl and they were the perfect fit for me except the zip was broken, so they would stitch me into them,” she said, laughing when she recalled she would try not to go to the bathroom while wearing the pants.
The “Physical” singer is auctioning off the costume, along with many others from her lifetime of work, with some of the proceeds going towards her Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in Melbourne, Australia.
She founded the center amid her own ongoing battle with breast cancer, which Newton-John is now fighting for the third time, telling King that the pain can be “really bad.”
“Crying pain, tears pain,” she explained, after showing King her marijuana plants that she’s been growing to help ease her discomfort.
Newton-John was first diagnosed in 1992 and overcame cancer again in 2013. But in May 2017, she was told cancer had metastasized and spread to her bones.
However, the actress keeps a positive outlook on life, telling King she doesn’t like to dwell on the statistics of the disease.
“In my opinion, if they give you a percentage, or you know, ‘This many women get this and they live this long,’ you can create that and make it happen,” Newton-John explained.
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“It’s almost like — I think I know what the statistics are. And if, and, but I put them away. But I’m gonna live longer than that. I’ve made that decision. And I don’t buy into the statistics ‘cause I think they can make you really nervous,” she said.
And she continues to look forward to the little joys of life, allowing herself to live life to the fullest as part of her healing journey.
“Denial is really healthy,“ she joked about coping with her diagnosis. “It was consuming by day, and after some time I went, ‘You know what? I don’t know what my time is, but I need to enjoy my life, so I’m gonna eat a cookie if I want it and I’m gonna have a cup of tea if I want it, and I want to have a little bit of wine then I’m gonna do that.’ “
The mother of one added, “The joy of life and every-day living has to be a part of that healing process as well.“
