{"id":2429598,"date":"2026-05-23T19:46:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2429598"},"modified":"2026-05-23T19:46:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:46:56","slug":"olivia-newton-john-was-haunted-until-her-death-by-exs-mysterious-disappearance-author","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/olivia-newton-john-was-haunted-until-her-death-by-exs-mysterious-disappearance-author\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivia Newton-John was haunted until her death by ex&#8217;s mysterious disappearance: author"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F05%2Fnewspress-collage-f04ud8nsw-1779565165449.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261779550795\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Olivia Newton-John was said to be haunted for the rest of her life by the mysterious disappearance of her ex, who vanished during a 2005 fishing trip off the California coast.<\/p>\n<p>The decades-long disappearance of cameraman Patrick McDermott is being revisited in Matthew Hild\u2019s new biography of the Grammy-winning superstar,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"nypost-20\" data-aps-asin=\"B0FL2R533X\" data-wrapped-template=\"https:\/\/r.nypostlink.com?btn_ref=org-19984c113c692001&amp;btn_url\" href=\"https:\/\/r.nypostlink.com?btn_ref=org-19984c113c692001&amp;btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLittle-More-Love-Legacy-Newton-John%2Fdp%2FB0FL2R533X%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fcrid%3DXZ7KQN6R5RM2%26dib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HIG9iJ3CAFThE_R5g6ZF6_faQR0P15RstqEWfx-KIz3YvUyslaILYyRKn32uvmMZcwUTcQP3SqtnRPxQqAOy1a60gtkl-0IVcRg3OhTbxIL6wEcB-xPiTq-YSC5_pycaT_lC-FXGJxjv7Kmq--ZhLA.KnQ-9s6D1fxxfRJA7qHxUI7aJrux5KUWQINTL5Md2z4%26dib_tag%3Dse%26keywords%3DMATTHEW%20HILD%26qid%3D1778988925%26sprefix%3Dmatthew%20h%2Caps%2C186%26sr%3D8-1%26tag%3Dnypost-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2026%2F05%2F23%2Fentertainment%2Folivia-newton-john-was-haunted-until-her-death-by-exs-mysterious-disappearance-author%2F%26asc_source%3Dweb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\">\u201cA Little More Love.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0The book explores the lasting toll the unsolved case took on the singer, beloved by generations as Sandy in the blockbuster musical \u201cGrease.\u201d Newton-John died in 2022 at age 73 after a long battle with breast cancer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s still an unsolved mystery,\u201d Hild told Fox News Digital. \u201cOlivia said at one point that this would haunt her forever because nobody would ever really know what happened. And to this day, there are reports that Patrick McDermott is believed to be alive in Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut what she finally told one of her closest friends was, \u2018I don\u2019t believe that. I believe he was killed. I think he drowned.\u2019 And I don\u2019t think she ever really made peace with it, because how do you make peace with something like that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On June 30, 2005, McDermott boarded the fishing vessel Freedom and embarked on an overnight fishing trip while\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/world\/world-regions\/australia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Newton-John was in Melbourne.<\/a>\u00a0The 48-year-old\u2019s family grew worried after he failed to attend an event with loved ones. McDermott\u2019s ex-wife also revealed that he hadn\u2019t picked up their 13-year-old son as scheduled.<\/p>\n<p>After contacting authorities, McDermott\u2019s family learned that he had left a bag full of belongings on the boat, and his car was still parked in the lot at\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/west\/california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Pedro\u2019s 22nd Street Marina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Olivia Newton-John and Boyfriend Patrick McDermott <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to the book, Frank Liversedge, the marina\u2019s landing manager, said that he believed McDermott \u201cdid not disappear at sea and probably made it to shore, but left his possessions for unknown reasons.\u201d He added, \u201cI\u2019ve been here 45 years as a boat captain and vessel master. I have never lost a fisherman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hild said that as tabloids swarmed a devastated Newton-John, it wasn\u2019t publicly revealed that she and McDermott were in an on-again, off-again relationship. While they were \u201coff-again\u201d at the time of his disappearance, they hadn\u2019t formally ended their relationship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of the people I interviewed confirmed this,\u201d Hild said. \u201cThey also remember that at the time he disappeared, Olivia and Patrick had taken a break from each other, but that didn\u2019t necessarily mean a final breakup, because they\u2019d done that before. At the very least, he was a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/topic\/family-and-friends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">close friend<\/a>\u00a0of hers, regardless of the state of their romantic relationship. So obviously it was a huge blow to her. And I think this was another example of her strength and resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Persistent reports suggested that McDermott had been depressed and heavily in debt. According to multiple reports, McDermott filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and still owed child support payments. Still, friends said McDermott\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/mental-health\/depression\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">showed no signs of depression<\/a>\u00a0and was a doting father who would never abandon his son.<\/p>\n<p>Hild said there were growing rumors of McDermott faking his own death, with some insisting they spotted him in Mexico. Newton-John, desperate for answers, tried to take matters into her own hands.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cA Little More Love\u201d is Matthew Hild\u2019s new biography of the Grammy-winning superstar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Speculation surrounding Mexico emerged after several reported sightings of McDermott there in the years following his disappearance. Tabloids and private investigators claimed he had been living under an assumed identity in coastal Mexican towns, fueling conspiracy theories that he faked his own death to escape financial troubles. However, no conclusive evidence ever surfaced to confirm those claims.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe hired Gavin de Becker, who was her longtime personal security expert,\u201d Hild said. \u201cGavin de Becker is still a security expert to the stars and has worked with her for years. She hired him to send his team down there and try to find Patrick McDermott. They never found him, never found any tangible evidence that he was still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In August 2005, Newton-John issued a public statement: \u201cI am hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I am grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much. I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hild said Newton-John never bought into the rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding what happened to McDermott, but questions about his fate followed her for years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a really painful topic,\u201d she said on \u201cShowbiz Tonight\u201d in October of that year, as quoted in the book. \u201cAnd it\u2019s still under investigation. And I\u2019m just \u2014 I love him very much, and as you can imagine, this is an incredibly hard thing to go through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was just kind of frozen,\u201d she shared. \u201cAnd you know, life, you have to move forward a little bit. It was one of the reasons that I decided to sing again. I didn\u2019t think I was going to sing again, and I had to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dance instructor Joe Giamalva told Hild that in the months after McDermott vanished, Newton-John immersed herself in tap dancing classes\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/nutrition-and-fitness\/fitness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at Malibu Fitness<\/a>. \u201cI think it was a getaway for her,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was an hour she could get away and take her mind off all that s\u2013t.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Olivia Newton-John during the annual Wellness Walk and Research Runon September 16, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hild wrote that a year after the \u201cShowbiz Tonight\u201d interview, Larry King surprised Newton-John by bringing up McDermott\u2019s disappearance. Newton-John told him she remained in contact with his family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve become very close to his ex-wife, Yvette [Nipar], who\u2019s a wonderful person, and we\u2019ve become good friends, and I see his son, and he\u2019s thriving. He\u2019s doing really well,\u201d she told King.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s when King publicly mentioned McDermott\u2019s son, Hild said.<\/p>\n<p>Nipar later said, \u201cI\u2019ll never forget her calling me from the green room right after this, knowing how protective I was about my son\u2019s name constantly being put out there. She had no idea Larry was going to ask this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hild said that over the years, Newton-John became protective of Nipar and her son.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a personal tragedy for Olivia,\u201d Hild said. \u201cShe became close friends with Patrick\u2019s ex-wife and Patrick\u2019s child as well. One of Olivia\u2019s biggest concerns was that every time she was asked publicly about Patrick\u2019s disappearance and the conspiracy theories surrounding it, the attention would affect Patrick\u2019s child and his ex-wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a statement saying the agency was \u201cnot actively investigating this case,\u201d\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/patrick-mcdermott-mystery-of-olivia-newton-john-boyfriend-lost-at-sea-11816699\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">People magazine<\/a>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Olivia Newton-John with daughter Chloe and Patrick Kim McDermott. <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe Coast Guard Investigative Service closed its case Sept. 15, 2006, and did not find any evidence of criminal action, suicide, accident or hoax in the disappearance of McDermott,\u201d the Coast Guard said in its release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA separate marine safety investigation followed, looking into the operation of the fishing vessel itself and was closed Oct. 30, 2008.\u00a0A marine safety investigation is standard in cases of loss of life in the marine environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth investigations suggest that McDermott was lost at sea,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n<p>That same year, Newton-John told a journalist, \u201cI think there will always be a question mark. I don\u2019t think I will ever really be at peace with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hild said the case continued to trouble Newton-John.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a heavy personal burden,\u201d he said. \u201cJust the disappearance alone, but also the nonstop press scrutiny, all the way through her death and even beyond. This question won\u2019t go away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Newton-John began dating McDermott shortly\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/events\/divorce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">after her 1995 divorce<\/a>\u00a0from Matt Lattanzi. They were together, on and off, for about nine years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI talked to some people who knew Patrick pretty well,\u201d Hild said. \u201cAside from being a photographer and a cameraman, Patrick was a guitar player. And so, the guys in Olivia\u2019s band would jam with him. They all said he was a kind, sweet person. I didn\u2019t hear anybody who said a bad word about him. I talked to probably a dozen people who knew him and, across the board, they all said he was a very kind person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Newton-John went on to find love again. She married her second husband, John Easterling, in 2008. They remained together until her death.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olivia Newton-John was said to be haunted for the rest of her life by the mysterious disappearance of her ex, who vanished during a 2005 fishing trip off the California coast. The decades-long disappearance of cameraman Patrick McDermott is being revisited in Matthew Hild\u2019s new biography of the Grammy-winning superstar,\u00a0\u201cA Little More Love.\u201d\u00a0The book explores [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2429599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[25538,21741,403836,333830],"class_list":["post-2429598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-actors","tag-entertainment","tag-grease","tag-olivia-newton-john"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Olivia-Newton-John-was-haunted-until-her-death-by-exs-mysterious.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2429598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2429600,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429598\/revisions\/2429600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2429599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2429598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2429598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2429598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}