Two years after the death of her mother, Olivia Newton-John, Chloe Lattanzi is continuing her legacy in many ways, all while discovering new sides of herself.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the 38-year-old actress and singer opened up about healing after loss, shared why she chose to fulfill a promise to her late mother on what would’ve been the actress’s 76th birthday and explained how she’s managed to find herself amid the “dark side” of fame.
Growing up in the spotlight, Lattanzi said she often felt like a “chameleon” who found herself conforming to what others wanted or expected her to be like.
“I think we’re on a constant quest. Finding yourself is really just being authentic,” said Lattanzi, whose first solo track, “Phoenix,” was released Thursday. “And when you’re a child, you’re authentic. You say what you think and you feel, and I think that fame is great. And, also, there’s a dark side. And, for me, the dark side is I didn’t feel the freedom to just be me. I felt like I had to be what the world would — and this is all in my head — but I had to be what the world wanted me to be, or I had to be exactly like my mother.
“I just found out what boundaries are a year ago, and I think — I can’t speak for everyone — but, as a woman, a human being, I’ve shied away from conflict or not said what I really felt to appease someone and finding yourself is standing in your authenticity, always being kind. But if you don’t like me or what I say, that’s OK. I’m still going to say it. I’m going to be me.”
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“I’ve struggled with being a chameleon my whole life,” she added. “I wanted to make everyone happy. And I’m realizing my mom dealt with that too. Being sensitive souls, you want everyone to like you, but you reach a point where that ends up killing you. … I’m definitely on an upward trajectory in the health arena. Mind, body, spirit, because I am living in my authenticity.”
Two years after her mother’s death, Lattanzi said she very much still feels her presence. The beloved “Grease” actress died in 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 73.
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“I’m always experiencing her,” said Lattanzi. “I mean, she knows the truth of my reality. So, we talk, and I ask her if I’m struggling with something to kind of guide me towards the right person energetically. And I’m always guided to where I need to be to heal, to overcome whatever it is.
“She always appears in the form of an orb in a photo or through an introduction meeting a person randomly on the street,” she continued. “So, she is ever present and very powerfully present in my life, in spirit. I used to make her watch the paranormal shows with me, and I was like, ‘That’s an orb, Mama.’ I said, ‘It’s going to be a long time, long time until you’re in orb, but when you’re in that place, will you please show up like that for me?’ And she took a photo with my phone, and then this beautiful giant bright blue orb flying around my dog’s head.
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“And then the next day she was flying up the side of my dad, Matt Lattanzi, his wife, she’s also a cancer survivor twice. And the same exact blue orb is flying up the side of her. And my dad is like, ‘I can’t explain this.’ … So yeah, she was like, ‘Chloe, I’m going to go everywhere and show you that I’m here, and I’m looking out for everyone.'”
In honor of what would’ve been her mom’s 76th birthday, Lattanzi released her first solo track, “Phoenix.”
“I co-wrote the song with Dave Audé and another fantastic writer, and the song was, for her, it was a promise,” Lattanzi said. “She would always say that we were symbiotic. We were one heart and two bodies, and the most important thing to her was that she saw her baby happy and thriving and shining. So, it was a promise to her that I would be true to myself, be gentle with myself, use my talents, get rid of the negative self-talk, essentially.
“Most of us humans, we need that message, that reminder every day that we’re incredible and capable of any dream that we want to achieve,” she continued. “And it was a promise that I’ll be happy. You don’t have to worry about your little girl.”
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN’S DAUGHTER CHLOE REVEALS ‘PROMISE’ SHE MADE TO MOTHER BEFORE HER DEATH
Lattanzi, who shared the demo with Newton-John before her death, said she hopes the song can lift up others who are struggling.
“I also wrote it to uplift other people, to remind them that the light is much more powerful than the dark,” she said. “And you’re not defined by trauma, you’re not defined by what has happened to you in your past. You’re defined by what you choose to do with it.”
“And my mom was moved to tears, and she said, ‘This is the best work you’ve ever done,'” Lattanzi recalled. “She always loved hearing my voice upfront, and her and I have that in common production-wise in music. We like it. Very simple. Vocals upfront, keep production at a minimum. So she wept, and I said, ‘This song is for you, Mom. I wrote this for you. This is my promise to you.’ So releasing it on her birthday is very sacred.”
In addition to the song’s release, Lattanzi will continue to carry on her mother’s legacy in a special way.
On Oct. 6, Lattanzi will lead the annual Olivia’s Walk for Wellness in Melbourne, Australia, to benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.
“I feel like I’m keeping my mother alive, and she taught me that,” said Lattanzi. “Her and I, we both suffered different ailments, but we both wanted to help others who were suffering from what we were suffering. So, I’m similar to her in that way. And I don’t feel there’s any greater purpose than to be of service and to connect to other beings, whether they human or animal.”
“I want to continue this beautiful legacy of hers and [find] kinder treatments for cancer and end it all together.”
