Where is Matt Lattanzi now? Olivia Newton-John's first marriage ended after husband ran off with babysitter
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA: Grammy-winning star, singer-songwriter, and actress Olivia Newton-John was known for her busy love life. However, not many people know that the actress got her heart broken during her first marriage after her first husband Matt Lattanzi ran off with a young babysitter named Cindy Jessup while she was battling breast cancer. The multi-talented star died at 73 on Monday, August 8, 2022.
Olivia and Lattanzi first crossed paths on the sets of the 1980 musical 'Xanadu', where Lattanzi, then 20, was hired as a dancer, and Olivia, then 31, was playing the Greek muse Kira. The couple got married in December 1984 and welcomed their daughter Chloe Rose in January 1986. In 1992, when Olivia was diagnosed with cancer, the couple decided to face this daunting prospect together.
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Jessup was hired to help look after Chloe in 1993 when Lattanzi was busy with the Aussie soap 'Paradise Beach'. In 1994, she cycled from Sydney to Perth in aid of Olivia's cancer charity cycle ride, accompanying the singer and her husband on the three-month journey. Jessup later became part of the family and Lattanzi reportedly left Olivia after being questioned about his "extremely close" relationship with the babysitter, who was 23 at the time.
Olivia kept blaming her fight with cancer as the reason for why her marriage with Lattanzi collapsed and not her husband's feelings for the babysitter, a report by DailyMail stated.
"I think our marriage would have eventually come to an end, but it happened sooner because of cancer, which was a good thing. It was very painful, but we were never at odds with each other. We have tried to remain friendly because we have a child and we made a pact that she was the most important thing in our lives and that we would never fight over her. What happened between us was between us, and we wouldn't allow it to affect her. Divorce is never all right. Everybody wants the happy ending and the white picket fence, particularly me," the late actress said.
Lattanzi's marriage to Jessup did not last as the two parted ways in 2007 after 10 years of marriage. He later married his third wife Michelle, who was initially diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014 but is in remission. The couple now runs the 115-acre Laughing Dog medicinal cannabis farm. Lattanzi, after his 1993 appearance in 'Paradise Beach' did not star in any more films. He is currently 63 years old and resides in Oregon in the United States.
Chloe had posted a photo of her father on Instagram with the caption, "Morning meditation with papa and the pups."
Michelle Lattanzi paid tribute to Olivia, her husband's ex-wife, on Facebook on behalf of the couple. She captioned, "Today we lost one of the world's greats Olivia Newton-John. Matt and I are so overwhelmed with the love and gratitude shared with us by friends, family and a deeply loving community of fans who will all miss Olivia's presence in this world. I have heard truly lovely stories and memories from people near and far, and honor in each of you where those feelings and memories come from. Nothing will replace the icon we lost, yet her legacy is alive and well in our hearts and memories, as well as her contributions to our global culture, her beloved daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and her cancer research and wellness center in Melbourne, AU. Please honor your sadness, and then celebrate the joy that Olivia's heart and lifetime achievements endowed in our world."