Olivia Newton-John reveals the tragic cancer diagnosis she kept secret
Olivia Newton-John first battled cancer in 1992 but the Aussie star has revealed that she also fought the disease without her fans knowing in 2013.
The 69-year-old actress and singer revealed in an interview with Channel Seven’s Sunday Night why she chose not to go public with the diagnosis at the time.
“I thought, 'It's my life' and I just decided to keep it to myself,” she admitted.
In early 2013, Olivia was involved in a minor car accident and a lump appeared on her right shoulder.
She confessed on Sunday Night that she initially believed the lump was caused by the strain of her seat belt, until scans revealed that the breast cancer she had beaten two decades earlier had returned.
Olivia explained that it was one of the most difficult periods of her life as her older sister, Rona, died from brain cancer months later.
Olivia beat her second bout of cancer but now, she is battling the disease again after a tumour was found at the base of her spine last year.
The brave Grammy Award winner revealed in the interview that she is using natural remedies to fight the disease, as well as undergoing radiation therapy.
Olivia has removed sugar from her diet and uses marijuana to help ease her physical pain.
The star’s husband of 10 years, John Easterling, is the founder of the Amazon Herb Company and grows cannabis for her at their property in California.
“In California, it's legal to grow a certain amount of plants for your own medicinal purposes ... I'm very lucky that I live in a state where it's legal and that I have a husband that is a plant-medicine man,” she said.
Despite her health battles, Olivia remains thankful for all the blessings in her life.
“There are other people out there doing much, much worse than me. I'm a very privileged person, and I'm very aware of that,” she said.
“I live in this beautiful place. I have a wonderful husband. I have all the animals that I adore. I have an incredible career. I have nothing, really, to complain about.”
When asked if she was worried about the cancer, she responded: “I believe I will win over it, and that's my goal.”