Olivia Newton-John was 'shaken' by pal Andy Gibb's tragic death at 30, author says: She 'felt very protective'

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During the final months of her life, Olivia Newton-John reminisced about her late pal Andy Gibb.

The pop singer and younger brother of the Bee Gees, who skyrocketed to fame as a teen idol, passed away in 1988 at age 30, five days after his birthday. He is now the subject of a new book titled "Arrow Through the Heart," which has been optioned by Lisa Saltzman’s Groundbreaking Productions. It explores how Gibb branched out on his own as a sought-after star and how his struggles with cocaine addiction contributed to his tragic end.

One of the numerous sources who shared their memories of Gibb for the book was Newton-John. The "Grease" star and author Matthew Hild corresponded via email during the summer of 2021.

Olivia Newton-John wrote to author Matthew Hild about her friendship with Andy Gibb. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

"This is kind of the million-dollar question," Hild told Fox News Digital when asked how he would describe the pair’s relationship. "There was a lot of press speculation about whether they were romantically involved or not. But Olivia insisted, and always said, that Andy was one of her dearest friends. And even when Andy was alive, he would say the same thing about her. Some people have speculated on whether they were more than friends. But nobody found any evidence of that. There was also a 10-year age gap between them. Those who knew them all said that their relationship was like brother and sister."

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"They appeared on TV together for a good four or five years," Hild shared. "They looked good together and had great chemistry when they interacted with each other. But she always stressed that Andy was just a dear friend she greatly admired."

According to Hild, Newton-John first met Gibb in the early ’70s through his brothers, before he became famous. They ran in similar music circles in Australia, and they shared a similar background. Newton-John and Gibb were closer in age, and they were both born in the U.K. but grew up in Australia.

Andy Gibb is the subject of a new book. (Fin Costello/Redferns)

It didn’t take long for Newton-John to quickly become "a friend of the family," Hild shared. She recorded a cover of the Bee Gees track "Come on Over," which was turned into the title track of her 1976 album. She went on to record two duets with the youngest Gibb in 1979, "I Can’t Help It" and "Rest Your Love on Me." She also joined the Bee Gees and Gibb to perform a fundraising televised concert for UNICEF that same year.

"When they first met, Andy was just a kid who hung around a lot in the studio with his brothers," said Hild. "But once he turned 19 and 20, they shared a true friendship. What surprised me during our correspondence was that Olivia said she viewed Andy as every bit as talented as his brothers. He suffered from a lot of insecurity and was worried that people would view him as riding on the coattails of his brothers. But she greatly admired him as an artist. She strongly believed Andy had the voice, the looks and the charisma to be a star. Olivia said she felt Andy held so much promise."

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"You could tell in those letters that even [decades later] she was incredibly proud of what he achieved," Hild shared. "She was very much looking forward to what he could have done as an artist."

The Brothers Gibb of the Bee Gees and Olivia Newton-John circa 1979 in New York City.  (Sonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty Images)

According to Hild, Newton-John was "definitely aware" of Gibb’s struggles with addiction, but didn’t delve into details concerning her opinions.

"She felt very protective of Andy," Hild said. "She didn’t want to talk about that… She also knew his former girlfriend, Victoria Principal, who recently shared a tribute to Olivia on social media [following her passing]… Olivia still had his big sisterly love for Andy and wanted to remain loyal to their friendship and memories. She always said, ‘Andy was such a kind, sweet person. The tragedy was that he had so much promise and so much more he could have done.’ And all of those that I spoke to shared a similar sentiment, that Olivia had this little brother, Andy, whom she loved dearly."

In 1981, Gibb fell head over heels in love with Principal, an actress in "Dallas." However, the whirlwind romance was reported to be tumultuous. According to reports, drugs were a contributing factor to their split.

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Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal pose in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. (Harry Langdon/Getty Images)

Gibb’s family urged him to go to rehab, and he finally did in 1985 when he checked into the Betty Ford Center. Despite getting clean, Gibb couldn’t relaunch his once thriving career.

In 1984, Newton-John married actor Matt Lattanzi, and she happily immersed herself in motherhood when she welcomed a daughter named Chloe a year later.

Hild said the last time Newton-John saw Gibb was in 1987 when she was in Miami, where Gibb resided. They both attended an event where they instantly exchanged warm hugs to the delight of photographers.

Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb tape the ABC television special "Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights" on March 19, 1980, in Century City, California. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

In 1988, Gibb was determined to kick off his comeback. Barry Gibb even took his younger sibling to London, where they could collaborate once more. Gibb moved to a carriage house on the property of his brother Robin Gibb and signed a contract with Island Records.

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According to Hild, Gibb was hospitalized three times, complaining of chest and abdominal pains. On the evening of March 9, 1988, Gibb collapsed on Robin’s estate. He died the next morning of myocarditis, known as inflammation of the heart muscle. A pathologist found no evidence of alcohol or other substances. The inflammation of his heart was the result of a viral infection.

His mother Barbara Gibb once said, "When he died, it had nothing to do with drugs at all, but the damage had been done through drugs in the first place." Hild noted that Gibb’s heart problem was "going on for years and was likely drug-related."

Matthew Hild told Fox News Digital that Olivia Newton-John was "very protective" of Andy Gibb. (GAB Archive/Redferns)

One of Gibb’s backup singers, who was also friends with Newton-John, recalled sitting next to the songstress at his funeral.

"He described sitting next to Olivia and seeing just how shaken she was," said Hild. "She was really upset. At one point, this singer told Olivia, ‘This is so sad.’ She just bit her lip and tried her best to fight back the tears… You know, toward the end of Andy’s life, he was calling all his friends and saying, ‘Let’s work together.’ He was very enthusiastic about his comeback album. He would tell friends, ‘I’m coming back.’ There’s no doubt in my mind that he and Olivia would have worked together on another duet again."

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Hild said there was one thing Newton-John wanted readers to know as he wrote his book.

Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb at "The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song," a benefit concert at the United Nations in New York City, circa 1979. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)

"In our correspondence, she emphasized how sweet of a friend Andy was," said Hild. "Those were her exact words. Olivia wanted to not only honor Andy’s memory but protect it. He had his problems, but she would never, ever discuss them. She felt strongly that his legacy should be his music and what a remarkable talent he was. And it’s easy to see why they were such good friends. Both were incredibly sweet people who loved making others happy with their music. They were comfortable in each other’s company, and it showed."

Back in 2019, Newton-John told Fox News Digital that Gibb was "a dear friend of mine."

"He was just a sweetheart," she said at the time. "Such a lovely, sensitive young man. His death was such a tragedy. Even now, his loss is greatly felt."

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Olivia Newton-John, seen here with Andy Gibb, passed away on Monday. She was 73. (Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Newton-John passed away on Monday at her Southern California ranch. She was 73.

"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," her husband John Easterling wrote on social media. "We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time."

She is survived by her husband; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; and several nieces and nephews.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.