A new book about Olivia Newton-John is reigniting decades-old speculation surrounding her relationship with “Grease” co-star John Travolta. According to an excerpt from the upcoming biography “A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John,” the late actress allegedly once wondered whether she would have been expected to join the Church of Scientology had she married Travolta. The claims appear in the new book set for release Thursday, May 14.
The excerpt, published by PEOPLE, includes comments from an unnamed musician who reportedly worked closely with Newton-John as part of her band.
According to the band member, Newton-John and Travolta shared a relationship that may have gone beyond friendship after starring together in the iconic 1978 musical film “Grease.” “They were very, very close,” the musician claimed before adding, “Almost that close.”
The source also alleged that Newton-John once privately asked questions about Scientology due to Travolta’s longtime involvement with the church.
Newton-John Allegedly Wondered About Scientology
According to the excerpt, Newton-John allegedly brought up Travolta while discussing the musician’s marriage to a Scientologist. “Obviously, you know John is a Scientologist,” Newton-John allegedly said. “I know the Church of Scientology really reveres him as a very valuable follower.”
The actress then reportedly asked, “If I had married John, would he have expected me to become a Scientologist?” The band member allegedly responded that joining the religion would have likely been “encouraged,” though not necessarily “mandatory.”
John Travolta Has Been Linked To Scientology For Decades
Travolta has famously been one of Scientology’s highest-profile celebrity members for decades. The actor reportedly joined the Church of Scientology in 1975 at just 21 years old, years before his breakout role as Danny Zuko opposite Newton-John’s Sandy Olsson in “Grease.”
Despite years of romance rumors between the pair, Newton-John ultimately married actor Matt Lattanzi in 1984 before the couple divorced in 1995. She later married businessman John Easterling in 2008, and the pair remained together until her death in 2022 following her battle with breast cancer.
Olivia Newton-John Remained Positive Throughout Her Cancer Battle
Long before her death in 2022, Newton-John publicly opened up about her decades-long battle with breast cancer and the mindset that helped her continue pushing forward. The “Grease” star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and underwent a partial mastectomy along with reconstruction surgery. Her cancer later returned in 2013 before resurfacing again for a third time in 2017.
Despite the devastating diagnoses, Newton-John maintained an incredibly optimistic outlook while speaking about her health journey in a 2019 interview with Us Weekly. “I feel lucky that I’m experiencing it for a third time, you know?” she said at the time. “You have to find the silver lining; there’s good in every bad situation.”
The singer admitted she still experienced fear and anxiety but said she intentionally chose to focus on positivity. “I’m very positive. I’m human, I have my moments of fear and anxiety like everybody does, but generally I choose to be positive because you create your world by what you think,” Newton-John explained. “And if you think dark thoughts, you’re going to create a dark world.”
She added, “If you think positive thoughts, you’ll create a positive world around yourself and attract positive people to you. I’m very lucky in all those areas; I have the best husband in the world and the best daughter. I’m lucky.”
Just one month earlier, the Australian actress explained why she preferred to keep much of her health journey private, revealing during a March 2019 interview with “Today” that she wanted to avoid public “speculation” surrounding her battle. “I just decided I wanted to go through it myself,” Newton-John said at the time. “And I did a lot of natural healing and a lot of herbs that my husband made for me.”
John Travolta Shared Emotional Tribute After Olivia Newton-John’s Death
Following Newton-John’s death at age 73, Travolta shared an emotional tribute honoring his longtime friend and former co-star. “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” Travolta wrote on Instagram at the time. “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!”
