Olivia Newton-John Gives Update on Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis

Grease star Olivia Newton-John is currently battling cancer for the third time, and the singer shared an update on her health during a Wednesday appearance on the Today show. Sitting down with host Hoda Kotb, the two emotionally discussed their journeys with cancer, with the actress noting that "anyone that has gone on this journey with cancer, its unknown destinations and surprises and turns."

While Newton-John, 73, did not delve into too much detail, she did share with Kotb and Today viewers that she is currently "feeling pretty good," though she did admit, "I have my days, I have my pains." She went on to reveal that she is managing her pain with medical marijuana with the help of her husband, John Easterling. She told Kotb, "The cannabis that my husband grows for me has been such a huge part of my healing," adding that she is "a really lucky person."

Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, after which she underwent a partial mastectomy, nine months of chemotherapy, and a breast reconstruction. After again overcoming the disease in 2013, the actress announced in May 2017 she had again been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that had metastasized to her bones. In a statement at the time, Newton-John told her fans, "I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia."

In the years since her diagnosis, Newton-John has been candid with her battle. Appearing on CBS This Morning in September 2019, the actress said she doesn't "discuss prognosis, because if they give you a percentage...it's almost like — I think I know what the statistics are...But I'm gonna live longer than that. I've made that decision." In a February 2020 update, Newton-John said she was "doing really well," noting that "at my last MRI, which is an exam where they look inside, things are shrinking, going away, staying the same and I'm living well with it and I'm feeling great." In a July interview with Closer Weekly, she said she was feeling "very good" after changing her diet, again expressing the benefits herbs and cannabis have had on her pain.

In spite of her diagnosis, Newton-John has remained in the public eye. Earlier this year, she recorded "Window in the Wall," a duet with daughter Chloe Lattanzi. More recently, she appeared on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, where she wished the remaining competitors good luck as they celebrated the songs of Grease during the Oct. 18 episode.