Olivia Newton-John's daughter's emotional memorial tribute
Olivia Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi has delivered an emotional speech at her mother’s memorial service, saying she “feels like a little girl”.
Almost six months after her death at the age of 73, Newtown-John was remembered at a star-studded service at Hamer Hall in Melbourne.
She passed away on August 8, 2022, after battling breast cancer for three decades.
Newtown-John’s husband John Easterline spoke at the beginning of the service followed by his daughter’s emotional tribute.
“My heart is broken in two. The other half is with my Mumma,” Lattanzi said with tears.
“I know she is 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 was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the Earth beneath my feet.”
Lattanzi also said she knew her mother was “standing beside her” and could hear her voice telling her not to be afraid.
The grieving daughter mentioned her and her mother had the same “cackle,” and revealed although her mother would never tell a dirty joke, she would “laugh the hardest at them”.
“I loved making her tea and then making it five times again until I got it right. I loved our snuggles. I would crawl into bed with her late at night even until I was 20 years old. I loved the way that she smelled,” Lattanzi said.
“I loved writing music and singing with her and how she would always notice if I was slightly off-key.
“She cherished her friends and her family and she was so grateful to her fans and she loved you all so dearly. She would want us all to laugh and reminisce together, enjoy and celebrate her life.”
Aussie singer and actress Delta Goodrem broke down at Newtown-John’s memorial service as she was giving a speech about how the late actress was so special to her.
“It’s beautiful to see everybody,” Goodrem said as she was interviewed at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, ahead of a moving performance.
“It’s beautiful,” Goodrem continued, flooded with emotion. “Sorry.”
“I’m so happy to see everybody coming together on a day to celebrate someone who touched all of our lives,” she said when asked why she was so emotional. “I think that’s really what it is.”
In a video shown at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Dolly Parton said, "The world lost one of its greatest talents when Olivia left us.”
Nicole Kidman also paid tribute, saying that Newton-John was "just a light in the world" and that growing up, she "wanted to be Olivia Newton-John.”
Some of the other celebrities and friends who paid tribute to Newtown-John during the service included Hugh Jackman, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, RuPaul, Pink and Sir Elton John.
Image credit: Getty