A Marriage Made in Xanadu
And when Olivia marries her Matt, there will be a touch of magic in the air
SUPERSTAR Olivia Newton-John and her handsome live-in lover. 25-year-old actor-dancer Matt Lattanzi, have at last set the date.
The two will wed in Los Angeles at the end of December.
And showbusiness friends hint that the couple’s decision is brought about by their keen desire to start a family.
The actual date is still a closely guarded secret, but whenever it is there’ll be a strong Aussie contingent at the ceremony.
Attending the wedding, which Olivia’s publicist, Paul Bloch, has said will be private, will be her close friends, John Farrar and his wife Pat (Olivia’s partner in Koala Blue) and Logie-winning actress Chantal Contouri.
Chantal, the former Sullivans actress, who also featured in the mini-series All The Rivers Run, was the first to learn of lovely Livvy’s wedding plans.
Olivia phoned Chantal in Australia the day before the announcement hit the papers in the US and asked if Chantal would fly over to be part of the special celebrations.
Did family plans prompt the decision?
Rumors of an impending marriage for Olivia, 36, and Matt, who is 11 years her junior, have been circulating since the two started living together, a few months after they met on the set of the movie Xanadu in which Olivia starred and Matt played the young Gene Kelly.
But while both then acknowledged their romance, Olivia would make no comment on the marriage rumors.
At that stage both Olivia and Matt had kept their romance quiet for about 15 months.
“Because we didn’t want anything to go wrong”. Matt was quoted as saying. “We plan to marry but not until I’m able to contribute financially.”
Matt has since gone on to star in the movies Rich And Famous, with Jacqueline Bisset, and My Tutor, and Olivia and her former Grease co-star John Travolta teamed again on Two Of A Kind”.
It was after making “Two Of A Kind” Olivia and Matt making a loving commitment after a long-standing relationship that Olivia confirmed she and Matt had marriage and babies very much in mind.
“Ideally I’d love to get married quietly, without fuss and without anybody knowing,” she said.
“But I know that will not be the way it will happen. It is very difficult to keep that kind of thing a secret.”
When TV WEEK spoke to Chantal, who was spending a quiet couple of weeks at Olivia’s secret farm retreat in New South Wales, she was still bubbling with the excitement of her friend’s wedding news.
Chantal is flying to the U.S. “to spend Christmas and get involved in all the preparations”.
Since Olivia has been known to throw a few glamorous New Year’s Eve parties for her friends at her luxurious Malibu home, TV WEEK asked Chantal if this might in fact be the date for the wedding.
“It might be, I don’t believe they have even set a firm date yet.”
Chantal said Olivia and Matt had initially planned to marry quietly and only announce the fact after the ceremony was over.
“But we’re all so pleased, because now they can be genuinely excited about the preparations and not have to be secretive about it.”
Chantal has known Olivia for 17 years
“Rona (Olivia’s sister) and Livvy call me their little sister and I have always loved Livvy like one of my sisters. She’s a great person and this is the best news I’ve had all year,” Chantal said.
“I cried when she told me on the phone tears of happiness. I think it’s all so wonderful. I have known Matt for five years since they first met and I always predicted this would happen.”
“He loves her very much and he is really so good for her. He treats her like every woman should be treated.”
“She’s taken so long to make the decision because she always said she wanted it to be for keeps.”
Along with Olivia’s other Australian friends, Chantal firmly believes Olivia and Matt will start a family in the near future.
“I imagine that’s probably highly considered. They are both keen to have children. Matt is one of 10 children and he’s very much into family life.”
“He’s a very loving, outgoing sort of person who loves fishing and the quiet, country life. He’s a very gregarious guy who’s a great deal of fun, but he has a lot of common sense.”
“I think she’s made a terrific choice.”
“Since they’ve been together I’ve always tried to push the romance along a little, in my Greek matchmaker way.”
Chantal predicts it won’t be too long before Olivia and Matt head to Australia after the wedding.
“I know where they’re planning to honeymoon but I’m not allowed to say where. But it is amazing just fantastic.”
Chantal and Olivia have also chatted about her wedding dress. “But I can’t say anything about that either,” Chantal said.
Bert Newton and his wife, Patti, a good friend of Olivia have met Matt on a couple of occasions at parties at Olivia’s luxury Malibu home. “Matt is lovely.” Patti said enthusiastically.
“She’s mad about him. He’s very good looking and he dotes on Olivia. I think with him, Olivia realises she’s not the boss. He calls the shots”
While Olivia’s mother, Mrs Irene Newton-John, is already overseas, Olivia sent telegrams to other family members including her former brother-in-law Brian Goldsmith, owner of Melbourne’s Underground nightspot, and her nieces and nephews Brett, Fiona and rising young actress Totty Goldsmith who are believed to be heading to the U.S. for the wedding.
By Patrice Fidgeon