Olivia Newton-John was remembered during a state memorial service in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.
Delivering emotional speeches at the event were the late Grease star’s husband, John Easterling, and daughter Chloe Lattanzi. Olivia died of breast cancer in August 2022 at the age of 73.
“My heart is broken in two,” Chloe, 37, said at the memorial service. “The other half is with my mama. I know she’s holding it for me until we meet again.”
“I stand here before you so desperately wanting to feel strong and confident and speak eloquently, but the truth is I feel like a little girl lost without her mother,” she continued. “She was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the earth beneath my feet.”
She added, “I know she’s here, standing beside me and within me. I can hear her voice [saying], ‘You are safe, my darling. Don’t be afraid. You are so much stronger than you think. Speak from your heart. That’s all you have to do.'”
“I love how she loved: fully and completely,” she continued. “She would want us all to laugh and reminisce together in joy and celebrate her life. This life experience is temporary, and my mother is the perfect example of a life truly lived.”
Easterling, who married Olivia in 2008, became emotional when he recounted how she’d proposed to him during a game of charades.
Others who paid tribute to Newton-John via prerecorded messages included Dolly Parton, Nicole Kidman, Pink, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, RuPaul, Hugh Jackman and Elton John.
During the service, Australian singer Delta Goodrem performed a medley of Olivia’s hits, including “Physical,” “You’re the One That I Want” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
The memorial service is available to stream at Vic.gov.au until March 5.
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