Olivia Newton-John spent her final years shadowed by a mystery she believed would never be solved: the disappearance of her former partner Patrick McDermott, who vanished during a 2005 fishing trip off the California coast and, in her mind, likely drowned.
The enduring trauma of McDermotts disappearance, and the way it intersected with Newton-Johns public image and private faith, is revisited in Matthew Hilds new biography of the Grammy-winning singer, "A Little More Love." According to Fox News, the book traces how the unresolved case weighed on the woman adored by generations as Sandy in the film phenomenon "Grease," even as she battled breast cancer, which ultimately claimed her life in 2022 at age 73.
"Its still an unsolved mystery," Hild told Fox News Digital, underscoring the absence of closure that marked Newton-Johns experience. "Olivia 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."
"But what she finally told one of her closest friends was, I dont believe that. I believe he was killed. I think he drowned. And I dont think she ever really made peace with it, because how do you make peace with something like that?" Hild added, describing a woman who, despite her optimism and spiritual grounding, could not reconcile herself to the unanswered questions surrounding a man she loved.
On June 30, 2005, McDermott, a 48-year-old cameraman, boarded the fishing vessel Freedom for an overnight excursion off the California coast while Newton-John was in Melbourne. His family became alarmed when he failed to appear at a planned gathering with relatives, and his ex-wife reported that he had not picked up their 13-year-old son as scheduled.
When relatives contacted authorities, they learned that McDermott had left a bag of personal belongings aboard the vessel, a detail that raised immediate concern. His car, meanwhile, remained parked at San Pedros 22nd Street Marina, suggesting he had never returned to drive away.
According to the book, Frank Liversedge, the marinas landing manager, voiced doubts that McDermott had simply vanished at sea. He believed McDermott "did not disappear at sea and probably made it to shore, but left his possessions for unknown reasons," a view that fed early speculation about a staged disappearance.
Liversedge, drawing on decades of maritime experience, emphasized how unusual the case appeared to him. "Ive been here 45 years as a boat captain and vessel master. I have never lost a fisherman," he said, a statement that only deepened the sense of mystery and invited further conjecture.
Hild explained that as the tabloids descended on Newton-John, much of the public remained unaware of the true nature of her relationship with McDermott. The pair had been in an on-again, off-again relationship, and while they were "off-again" at the time of his disappearance, they had not definitively ended things.
"Some of the people I interviewed confirmed this," Hild said, noting that the couples pattern of taking breaks had not previously signaled a permanent split. "They also remember that at the time he disappeared, Olivia and Patrick had taken a break from each other, but that didnt necessarily mean a final breakup, because theyd done that before. At the very least, he was a close friend of 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."
Reports at the time suggested that McDermott was under financial strain and emotionally fragile. Public records and media accounts indicated he had filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and still owed child support, fueling theories that he might have sought a drastic escape from his obligations.
Yet friends pushed back against the narrative of a man on the brink of self-destruction. They described McDermott as a devoted father who showed no outward signs of depression and insisted he would never willingly abandon his son, complicating the picture painted by sensational coverage.
Hild said rumors soon spread that McDermott had faked his own death, with alleged sightings in Mexico becoming a staple of tabloid headlines. Newton-John, unwilling to rely on gossip and driven by a desire for truth, decided to act on her own.
Speculation about Mexico intensified as various individuals claimed to have seen McDermott in coastal towns south of the border in the years after his disappearance. Private investigators and sensationalist outlets asserted he was living under an assumed identity to escape financial burdens, but no credible, verifiable evidence ever emerged to substantiate those claims.
"She hired Gavin de Becker, who was her longtime personal security expert," Hild said, noting that Newton-John turned to a trusted professional rather than indulging in media theatrics. "Gavin 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."
In August 2005, Newton-John released a public statement that reflected both her affection for McDermott and her reliance on law enforcement rather than rumor. "I 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."
Hild said Newton-John never truly accepted the more lurid conspiracy theories that swirled around McDermotts fate. Still, the relentless speculation followed her for years, a recurring topic in interviews that often overshadowed her work and charitable efforts.
"Its a really painful topic," she said on "Showbiz Tonight" in October of that year, as quoted in the book. "And its still under investigation. And Im just I love him very much, and as you can imagine, this is an incredibly hard thing to go through."
"I was just kind of frozen," she shared, describing the emotional paralysis that followed the news of his disappearance. "And you know, life, you have to move forward a little bit. It was one of the reasons that I decided to sing again. I didnt think I was going to sing again, and I had to move forward."
Dance instructor Joe Giamalva told Hild that Newton-John turned to physical discipline and routine as a way to cope with the turmoil. In the months after McDermott vanished, she immersed herself in tap dancing classes at Malibu Fitness, seeking a brief reprieve from the constant questions and media scrutiny.
"I think it was a getaway for her," he said, recalling how the classes offered a rare hour of normalcy. "It was an hour she could get away and take her mind off all that s--t."
Hild wrote that about a year after her "Showbiz Tonight" appearance, Newton-John faced another uncomfortable moment when she sat down with CNN host Larry King. Without warning, King raised the subject of McDermotts disappearance on air, catching the singer off guard.
Newton-John responded by emphasizing her ongoing relationship with McDermotts family, highlighting the bonds that had formed in the wake of tragedy. "Ive become very close to his ex-wife, Yvette [Nipar], whos a wonderful person, and weve become good friends, and I see his son, and hes thriving. Hes doing really well," she told King.
That was the moment, Hild noted, when McDermotts son was publicly mentioned in a high-profile broadcast. The reference, though well-intentioned, had consequences for a family that had tried to shield a child from the glare of celebrity scandal.
Nipar later said, "Ill never forget her calling me from the green room right after this, knowing how protective I was about my sons name constantly being put out there. She had no idea Larry was going to ask this." Her comments underscored the tension between media curiosity and a familys right to privacy, a tension that often tilts in favor of ratings rather than restraint.
Hild said that over time, Newton-John became fiercely protective of Nipar and her son, recognizing how the ongoing speculation could harm them. "This was a personal tragedy for Olivia," Hild said, stressing that the story was not a mere Hollywood curiosity but a deeply human loss.
"She became close friends with Patricks ex-wife and Patricks child as well. One of Olivias biggest concerns was that every time she was asked publicly about Patricks disappearance and the conspiracy theories surrounding it, the attention would affect Patricks child and his ex-wife."
In 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a formal statement clarifying its position on the case, signaling that the federal government had exhausted its investigative avenues. "The 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," the agency said in its release, as reported by People magazine.
"A separate marine safety investigation followed, looking into the operation of the fishing vessel itself and was closed Oct. 30, 2008. A marine safety investigation is standard in cases of loss of life in the marine environment." The Coast Guards findings, grounded in procedure rather than speculation, stood in stark contrast to the sensational narratives that had flourished in the press.
"Both investigations suggest that McDermott was lost at sea," the statement concluded, offering the most authoritative assessment available, even if it fell short of the definitive proof Newton-John and McDermotts family might have hoped for. That same year, Newton-John acknowledged that the official findings did little to ease her mind.
"I think there will always be a question mark. I dont think I will ever really be at peace with it," she told a journalist, articulating the kind of unresolved grief that many families of missing persons endure without the benefitor burdenof global attention.
Hild said the case remained a source of anguish for Newton-John for the rest of her life. "It was a heavy personal burden," he said, pointing to the dual weight of private sorrow and public fascination.
"Just the disappearance alone, but also the nonstop press scrutiny, all the way through her death and even beyond. This question wont go away." His remarks highlight a broader cultural problem: a media environment that often treats human tragedy as entertainment, with little regard for the people left behind.
Newton-John began dating McDermott shortly after her 1995 divorce from actor Matt Lattanzi, with whom she shared a daughter. Their relationship, which lasted on and off for about nine years, unfolded largely out of the spotlight, a contrast to the hyper-public nature of her earlier marriage.
"I talked to some people who knew Patrick pretty well," Hild said, describing a man whose reputation among friends clashed with the darker portrayals that emerged later. "Aside from being a photographer and a cameraman, Patrick was a guitar player. And so, the guys in Olivias band would jam with him. They all said he was a kind, sweet person. I didnt 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."
In time, Newton-John found lasting companionship again, rebuilding her personal life even as the mystery of McDermotts fate lingered in the background. She married businessman and environmental entrepreneur John Easterling in 2008, and the couple remained together until her death, embodying the kind of enduring, traditional marriage that stands in stark contrast to the chaos and transience often celebrated in modern celebrity culture.
Yet even as she embraced a new chapter, the unresolved questions about McDermott never fully receded, a reminder that fame and fortune do not insulate anyone from loss or uncertainty. For Newton-John, the story of Patrick McDermott was not a tabloid curiosity but a deeply personal wound, one she carried with grace, loyalty to his family, and a quiet insistence on dignity in the face of a media environment all too eager to trade in rumor rather than respect.
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