3 weeks ago
Olivia Newton-John thought her ex-boyfriend, Patrick McDermott, was either “killed” aliases “drowned” erstwhile he went missing disconnected nan seashore of Los Angeles 21 years ago.
Matthew Hild covers nan cameraman’s mysterious 2005 disappearance successful his caller curriculum vitae connected nan precocious “Grease” star, “A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John,” which comes retired Thursday.
The writer interviewed galore of Newton-John’s friends and colleagues for nan book, and 1 told Hild what nan four-time Grammy victor really believed happened to her “on-again, off-again” partner.
“She thought he’d been killed,” Newton-John’s friend and collaborator Liona Boyd told Hild, per People. “She thought he drowned.”
Boyd added, “She didn’t judge each nan rumors astir nan sightings successful Mexico. She said, ‘No, I don’t judge that.'”
Newton-John began making love McDermott soon aft her divorcement from her first husband, character Matt Lattanzi, successful 1995.
The “Two of a Kind” prima described nan pair’s narration arsenic “on-again, off-again” successful her 2018 memoir and revealed she and McDermott were “off-again” astatine nan clip of his disappearance during an overnight sportfishing travel successful June 2005.
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Rumors began to swirl astir what whitethorn person really happened to nan 48-year-old McDermott, including speculation that he “staged his disappearance” and ran distant to Mexico amid money problems.
“Whether he had financial difficulties and staged his disappearance, whether it was a execution aliases an abduction, nary 1 seems to know,” Louise Pennell, a overseas analogous for Seven Network Australia, told NBC News successful 2005.
“What we do cognize is that location were immoderate problems pinch finances. Patrick McDermott, connected nan sportfishing boat, told nan unit that he had immoderate alimony troubles pinch his ex-wife, who is an actress,” Pennell added. “As acold arsenic I know, he complained astir financial troubles pinch her.”
McDermott had divided actress Yvette Nipar in June 1993. The erstwhile mates shared 1 child, a boy named Chance.
Another person, interrogator John Nazarian, claimed he saw nan missing photographer pinch a female successful Mexico aft he was reported missing.
“I said to group there,” Nazarian said successful 2016. “The woman he was walking pinch was described arsenic having a German accent.”
But according to Hild’s upcoming book, Newton-John approached a information master named Gavin de Becker, who sent backstage investigators down to Mexico successful hunt of her missing ex to nary avail.
The US Coast Guard concluded McDermott was apt “lost astatine sea” pursuing investigations that ended successful 2008.
Newton-John publically addressed her ex’s disappearance for nan first clip 1 twelvemonth aft nan Coast Guard’s findings were released.
“I deliberation location will ever beryllium a mobility people … I don’t deliberation I will ever really beryllium astatine bid pinch it,” she told nan Australian outlet Women’s Weekly successful 2009.
The “I Honestly Love You” vocalist addressed McDermott’s disappearance further during an question and reply pinch Australia’s “60 Minutes” successful 2016.
“He was mislaid astatine sea, and cipher really knows what happened,” she shared.
“It’s quality to wonder. But you know, those are nan things successful life you person to judge and fto go,” Newton-John continued. “Because whenever you spell done difficult times, location are ever those concerns.”
The Australian icon yet moved connected and joined her 3rd husband, businessman John Easterling, successful 2008 amid nan enigma of McDermott’s disappearance.
Newton-John and Easterling were still joined erstwhile she died successful August 2022 astatine nan property of 73 pursuing a 30-year conflict pinch bosom cancer.
