John Travolta wrote a touching tribute to his former "Grease" co-star Olivia Newton-John on what would have been her 74th birthday.
The star died at age 73 on Aug. 8 following a long battle with breast cancer. Taking a moment to pay his respects on her birthday Monday, Travolta shared a throwback photo of them together in a scene from the hit 1978 film that shot them both to fame.
"Happy birthday my Olivia," he wrote alongside the image on his Instagram Story.
Travolta and Newton-John met on the set of "Grease" and developed a solid friendship that lasted until Newton-John's death.
"I think we love each other, and when you love someone you stay in touch," Travolta previously said of their friendship, according to Fox News. The pair reunited in 2020 for a series of "Meet n' Grease" movie sing-along events held in Florida and during that time Travolta admitted to initially harboring strong feelings for Newton-John.
"I'm not shy about this. I was in love with Olivia," Travolta told the crowd at one of the events, according to Forbes.
Circumstances did not align and the two never did become a couple, but as time passed that love took on a different meaning as they became close friends instead.
"Once you love someone, you don't unlove them," Travolta continued. "You love them forever."
The actor also opened up about their connection during a 2018 interview with People, saying that the success of "Grease" helped them to remain friends.
"When you share that kind of meteoric success — and nothing has been able to exceed it — you share a bond," he stated. "I've been through her having a child, getting divorced, losing her sister. She's been through my getting married, and having children. It's wonderful and full of shared memories."
After news of her death came to light, Travolta led the tributes on social media.
"My dearest Olivia," he wrote on Instagram. "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."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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