The death of Olivia Newton-John, which occurred on August 8, 2022, from breast cancer, brings up a complex case: the disappearance of her former companion Patrick McDermott. The unforgettable heroine of grease has indeed experienced a relationship made up of ups and downs with the one who has been his companion for nine years. A few months after their final break, it disappeared mysteriously after a night boat trip in 2005 in California.
According to the investigation at the time, Patrick McDermott, an American cameraman, probably drowned. After three years of searching, he was pronounced dead in 2008, although his body was never found. But conspiracy theories have since swirled around, including the one that he faked his own death, living in Mexico with his new girlfriend.
Staged ?
Some information fueled these doubts: none of the 22 other passengers saw him go overboard, while his companion took a week to report his disappearance, taken by professional commitments. She only worried about his absence during a family reunion. In addition, investigators were surprised that before evaporating, he took care to have a second passport made out to the first name that appears on his birth certificate, Patrick Kim, and to withdraw the savings he gave him. remained in two bank accounts.
Why would Patrick McDermott have orchestrated all this? The debt-ridden man had declared personal bankruptcy a few days earlier. His arrears totaled $30,000 and he owed some $8,000 to his ex-wife Yvette Nipar for child support for their son, Chance. The former actress reportedly received $100,000 in life insurance after her death was officially announced. A private detective claimed in 2010 that he found him in a boat on the coast of Acapulco, statements that could never be proven, however.
I would never be at peace with this.
During the show 60 Minutes in 2016, Olivia Newton-John spoke on this delicate subject: “He lost himself as a mother and no one knows exactly what happened. It’s normal to wonder. But you know, there are things in life that you have to accept and move on. Because whenever we go through difficult times, there are always these things that undermine us.In a 2009 interview for the magazine Australian Women’s Weekly, the Anglo-Australian artist had also opened up on this mystery: “I think there will always be a question mark… I don’t think I will ever be at peace with this.“
Three years after the disappearance of her ex, Olivia Newton-John married John Easterling, who remained by her side until his last breath. The Australian star was also married from 1984 to 1995 to comedian Matt Lattanzi with whom she has a daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi.