"She was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the earth beneath my feet," Chloe Lattanzi said in her tribute during the state memorial service in Australia.
Olivia Newton-John passed away on August 8, 2022, at the age of 73, after her battle with cancer. Her daughter with ex-husband, Matt Lattanzi, Chloe Lattanzi paid an emotional tribute to her late mother at a state memorial service that was held for Newton-John in Australia on February 26 to honor the late icon. Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, and Pink were some of the celebrities who spoke, both in person and in pre-recorded video tributes. Her husband James Driskill stood by Lattanzi as she took the stage to speak about her mother in an emotional speech as per TODAY.
Lattanzi and John Easterling have been open about their grief ever since the passing of Newton-John in August of last year, per TODAY. The grief-stricken daughter began her speech by saying, "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. I know she is here standing beside me and within me. I can hear her voice," as her voice chokes.
She also acknowledged Newton-John's significance to the fans as well as to her. “I love my mom more than anything,” she said while choking up. “She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.” The grieving daughter said that her heart was broken into two pieces and that “the other half is with my momma. I know she’s holding it for me until we meet again."
The 37-year-old singer continued by recalling some of her favorite moments with her mother, such as their shared sense of humor, their time spent watching "trashy TV shows," their cuddles, their time spent writing and performing music, and how Newton-John was always able to see "beauty in everything."
Missing her mother Lattanzi said, “I love how she loved, fully and completely, and I know that she would want me to tell each and every one of you how grateful she was for each individual special relationship.” Recalling the fun moments she added, "I love laughing with my mum. We shared the same cackle. She didn’t tell dirty jokes but she laughed the hardest at them. My mum could find the beauty in everything."
“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. This life experience is temporary, and my mother is the perfect example of a life truly lived,” she concluded as she teared up and people put their hands together for her. John Easterling, Newton's husband, also spoke during the ceremony to remember his late wife. In his speech, he recalled how the couple had first connected through friends three decades earlier and discovered they shared similar interests and worldviews. Fans and family supported them as they poured in heartfelt tributes.
Reference:
https://www.today.com/popculture/olivia-newton-johns-daughter-pays-tribute-late-mother-rcna72370
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Asanka Ratnayake
