Fans Are Absolutely Furious Over Olivia Newton-John Being Forgotten At The 2022 Emmys
Tributes have poured in from across the globe ever since it was announced that Olivia Newton-John had died aged 73 on August 8. The "Grease" star's husband, John Easterling, confirmed the tragic news via a post on her official Facebook page, announcing she had passed away after being diagnosed with breast cancer more than once. "Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time," the heartbreaking statement read.
One of those issuing the most touching tribute to the beloved singer and actor was her "Grease" co-star John Travolta, who took to Instagram to publicly mourn his close friend. "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much," he captioned a throwback snap of the "Physical" hitmaker. "We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!" he added, signing off his heartfelt post, "Your Danny, your John!"
But not everyone honored Newton-John in the same poignant way — and fans are not happy. Cue the Emmys backlash.
Olivia Newton-John was snubbed during the 2022 Emmys In Memoriam segment
The 2022 Emmy Awards aired on September 12, but not everyone was happy with what took place, or didn't take place, during the show's In Memoriam segment. Many fans noticed that Olivia Newton-John was not recognized, despite her fame stretching back decades and her ABC special, "A Special Olivia Newton-John," even earning a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork in 1977. Newton-John is also included on the Emmys' online In Memoriam database (where she's listed as a performer), which made her absence from the telecast (honoring the likes of Betty White and Bob Saget, per People) even more surprising.
Plenty took to Twitter to call out the award show, with one person tweeting, "Hey Emmys, that was a beautiful In Memoriam tribute, but you left out Olivia Newton-John." Another wrote, "Wait did the Emmy's not acknowledge the passing of Olivia Newton John?!? I still feel like she should still have been mentioned even if she didn't win an Emmy in her lifetime," while a third noted, "Seriously @TelevisionAcad? You omit icon [Olivia Newton-John] from your in memoriam? What child does your research? Embarrassing."
Though Newton-John was never honored with an Emmy in her lifetime, she did appear in several TV projects. Amongst those she's been credited with, per IMDb, include the TV series "Sordid Lives: The Series" and "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga," plus TV movies like "The Wilde Girls" and "A Christmas Romance."