Latest news with #widower
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Olivia Newton-John's widower John Easterling finds love with American businesswoman
Olivia Newton-John's widower has found love three years after her death. Daily Telegraph reports John Easterling, who married the late Australian singer in 2008, has moved on with US businesswoman Sarah Owen. Owen is the founder and owner of two companies: Striphair, which is a gentle grooming brush for pets, and Betty's Best, The outlet claims the pair met at a New Year's Eve event in December, 2022. Newton-John died at her ranch in California in August 2022. She was 73. The Grease star, who suffered a long battle with breast cancer, spent her final days at the sprawling Santa Ynez Valley estate with Easterling, where the couple had lived since purchasing the property in 2015. Easterling sold the home for $US7.95 million (AUD$12.16 million) in February this year after it was first listed in June 2024. 'Olivia and I made many wonderful memories at our home in Florida and the ranch in California. The message that keeps coming through so clearly is to love life, live life, and never forget about the good things that are going on,' Easterling told PEOPLE at the time. 'The 'Indian Way' Ranch in Santa Ynez is a spectacular property where I can see a new family having great nature adventures and relishing the life experience. I'll still maintain a presence in both Florida and California.' Easterling, who founded the Amazon Herb Company in 1990, first met Newton-John in 1993 when they were married to other people. After years of friendship, the pair began dating in 2007 before marrying in a spiritual ceremony in Peru in June 2008, followed by a legally-binding wedding on Jupiter Island in Florida. Newton-John's first marriage was with Matt Lattanzi, who she met on the set of the 1980 film Xanadu. They later married in 1984, welcoming their daughter Chloe Lattanzi in January 1986. The couple divorced in 1996. At the time of her death, Easterling paid heartfelt tribute to Newton-John, describing every day with his wife as 'supernatural.' 'Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic,' Easterling wrote. Lattanzi, for his part, shared a joint statement written by his current wife, Michelle. '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,' Michelle wrote in a post shared to Facebook. 'I have heard truly lovely stories and memories from people near and far, and honour 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 centre in Melbourne, AU.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gen Xers have raised their kids. Now, they're caring for parents
A college pal of mine routinely drives across Massachusetts to visit his retired father and bring him cartons of cigarettes purchased in the lower-tax state of New Hampshire to save his fixed-income, widower dad some money. Another visits her widowed mother-in-law every weekend to help with chores around the house, and even pitches in to help an aunt-in-law with dementia. Meanwhile, my husband and his two sisters take turns going to their father's apartment every weekend to dole out their bedridden dad's medicine, do his grocery shopping, handle his bills and medical care and make sure his home healthcare aides have what they need. I bring my own father his medicine weekly — a rainbow of pills tidily tucked inside a rotating series of pillboxes. I pay his bills, schedule and take him to medical appointments, and run errands for him as he no longer drives. The place I frequent most often, other than my house, is the drug store. All of these adult children are Gen Xers. All of our parents have lost their longtime spouses, and we are attempting to help. That's when we're not fielding questions from our twentysomething children about how to handle adulting, like what to do after you have a fender bender and how to deal with one's health insurer. All of us have arrived at the stage of our lives where we've become the glue holding the generations together. We host the holiday events. We keep everyone up-to-date on family news, like the family town crier. This being-the-glue-of-the-family seems to have happened slowly, then all at once. We went from being the ones with the lives built around raising our children and trying to advance our careers to the ones who've added parenting our parents to our to-do lists. Nearly every conversation winds up becoming a status update on our parents or our nascent adult children as we exchange war stories and engage in gallows humor, similar to what we did decades ago when we were navigating the early days of childrearing. Our own lives can seem like afterthoughts, which isn't new for the oft-ignored GenX generation. Yet as we enter this new era of our lives, guidance is sparse. How-to books on raising kids tend to top out at the teenage years. There isn't much guidance on how to give young adult children the support they need while simultaneously respecting their autonomy and trying not to anger them. Meanwhile, we're doing the same thing with our parents, most of whom are living solo for the first time after decades of marriage. We're trying to give them the support they need while simultaneously respecting their autonomy and trying not to anger them. It's trickier doing this with your mother or father, who may have developed myriad unhealthy or unwise habits since you left home. Do we refuse to help them obtain unhealthy food? Do we tell them we're not getting them cigarettes or alcohol or intervene if they're drinking is out of control? If we're paying our parents' bills, do we prevent financial damage from buying things they don't need or spending money on scams? New York magazine recently published a long feature about a writer's failed attempts to prevent his widower father from participating in an online romance scam that cost tens of thousands of dollars; trying to alert his father to the fact that this was a fraudulent website just enraged the 82-year-old and drove a wedge between them. When I sat down to write my latest novel, 'Louie on the Rocks,' part of my motivation was to explore the role of an adult child, Lulu, and her widower father, Louie, as they clash over his choices, chiefly, about how Louie is spending his money. Louie firmly believes Lulu should butt out, but Lulu takes him to court to try to seize control over his finances, noting his decisions are affected by his spiraling alcoholism. It doesn't end well. In my own life, years after our mother died, my brother and I started handling most of our father's finances and caring for his house. There were a multitude of uncomfortable bumps along the way. While my dad thanks us for our assistance, he chafes, naturally, at financial constraints. It no doubt feels insulting and infantilizing to have the people whose diapers you once changed suddenly telling you that you don't need that credit card or giving you only $50 instead of the $100 you requested. Then there's the dementia issue. A study from the journal Nature Medicine found that two in five people older than 55 will develop dementia in their later years. Given the size of the Baby Boomer generation, the number who'll be diagnosed with dementia is higher than previously thought. The number of cases is expected to double by 2060. Then, throw in the drinking. Business Insider recently declared that 'Baby Boomers Love Booze.' That's underplaying it. 'Alcohol use is increasing among adults 65 and older and the size of this population is expanding rapidly,' says a report in the medical journal Alcohol, adding that Boomers drink more than their predecessors in the Silent Generation. That means a growing number of Gen Xers and older Millennials will probably soon find themselves deeply entrenched in their parents' lives, paying their bills, monitoring their activities (like telling them not to give a credit card number to someone who called claiming to be a grandson who's been arrested and needs bail money), and making sure they're not drinking too much. Sounds a lot like parenting one's parents, who are likely to rebel just like our teenage children did. Maybe we're the ones who are going to need that drink. Meredith O'Brien is the author of several books, including the recent novel 'Louie on the Rocks.' She lives in the Boston area. 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Telegraph
03-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Dear Richard Madeley: ‘My partner hates my politics but I don't want to lose her'
Dear Richard, I am a 68-year-old widower who finds it difficult to meet prospective partners, but I have recently met a nice lady who I thought was the perfect match for me. She is attractive, funny, gregarious and has many other characteristics I enjoy. Friends and family like her very much. However, sadly, of late it has become clear that she has different politics to me and has become very judgmental about my opinions. She also finds my sense of humour challenging and, while she always expresses her opinion, however ridiculous it may seem to me, I never question her. The opposite is true whenever I mention my point of view – to the extent that I now don't bother to proffer my opinions. While she says she loves me, she has also said that this could be the beginning of the end for us. I am tempted to call her bluff but I don't want to lose her, despite the fact that I feel she is preventing me from being myself. What should I do? — A Dear A, OK. Deep breaths. Straight answer coming up. Brace yourself. This relationship is doomed. DOOMED, I tell ye (channelling my inner Private Frazer from Dad's Army). Come on, A. How can you possibly have a lasting, meaningful relationship with someone who refuses to even listen to what you think? Who (judging by your longer letter) metaphorically sticks her fingers in her ears whenever you dare to venture an opinion? Or heckles and interrupts you before you can develop an argument? So much so, that you are increasingly cowed into complete silence. The fact is that at some point, probably sooner rather than later, you're going to meet someone who is prepared to let you express yourself – whether or not they agree with you. You can't spend the rest of your life with someone so inherently rude that they think they have the right to constantly shut you down. It's an extraordinarily imperious, arrogant way to behave, clearly making you increasingly resentful. And it's one step from resentment to anger. You should bale out before you get to that point. So the next time she says that this may be the beginning of the end for you both, tell her you must disagree (again) with her. Because this is not the beginning of the end: it's the end. Then walk away. Come on, A. I know it must be daunting trying to find love as a 68-year-old widower. But you know you can do better than this.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Richard Madeley: ‘My partner hates my politics but I don't want to lose her'
I am a 68-year-old widower who finds it difficult to meet prospective partners, but I have recently met a nice lady who I thought was the perfect match for me. She is attractive, funny, gregarious and has many other characteristics I enjoy. Friends and family like her very much. However, sadly, of late it has become clear that she has different politics to me and has become very judgmental about my opinions. She also finds my sense of humour challenging and, while she always expresses her opinion, however ridiculous it may seem to me, I never question her. The opposite is true whenever I mention my point of view – to the extent that I now don't bother to proffer my opinions. While she says she loves me, she has also said that this could be the beginning of the end for us. I am tempted to call her bluff but I don't want to lose her, despite the fact that I feel she is preventing me from being myself. What should I do? — A OK. Deep breaths. Straight answer coming up. Brace yourself. This relationship is doomed. DOOMED, I tell ye (channelling my inner Private Frazer from Dad's Army). Come on, A. How can you possibly have a lasting, meaningful relationship with someone who refuses to even listen to what you think? Who (judging by your longer letter) metaphorically sticks her fingers in her ears whenever you dare to venture an opinion? Or heckles and interrupts you before you can develop an argument? So much so, that you are increasingly cowed into complete silence. The fact is that at some point, probably sooner rather than later, you're going to meet someone who is prepared to let you express yourself – whether or not they agree with you. You can't spend the rest of your life with someone so inherently rude that they think they have the right to constantly shut you down. It's an extraordinarily imperious, arrogant way to behave, clearly making you increasingly resentful. And it's one step from resentment to anger. You should bale out before you get to that point. So the next time she says that this may be the beginning of the end for you both, tell her you must disagree (again) with her. Because this is not the beginning of the end: it's the end. Then walk away. Come on, A. I know it must be daunting trying to find love as a 68-year-old widower. But you know you can do better than this. You can find more of Richard Madeley's advice here or submit your own dilemma below. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How single older men can stand out and find real love, according to a matchmaker
Dating is fun at every age, but it has serious benefits for mature adults. Research tells us healthy romantic relationships among older people can improve cognitive function, boost physical vitality, and lead to a happier, more satisfying life. These perks can even reduce stress hormones, boost lifespan, and make healing after surgeries less painful. However, as anyone who's survived heartbreak will understand, prioritizing compatibility in a partner is important if you want to soak up all of the advantages of dating. Otherwise, you end up on the romance hamster wheel, spending your limited time and energy on people who aren't right for you. Selectivity can be especially challenging for older men, many of whom are dating for the first time without the pressures of marriage, children, or other expectations they may have felt in their 20s, 30s, or 40s. This sense of freedom—combined with the fact that, as Pew reports, single older women far outnumber their male counterparts—means single older men can fall into some serious pitfalls that keep them stuck with mismatched partners. If you're a widower, divorcee, or simply a single man, it's worth putting your best and most authentic self forward. To help men in their golden years find satisfying companionship later in life, dating service Exclusive Matchmaking put together a list of advice for older men ready for romance. 'Love doesn't have an expiration date,' said matchmaker Susan Trombetti. 'Dating in your mature years and finding love after 70 and beyond can lead to fulfilling and intentional relationships.' If you want a fulfilling love life, avoid these dating pitfalls to make yourself available for a truly compatible companion. Be forthcoming about your age, lifestyle preferences, and mobility. While many are shy to admit their real age upfront, it's always best to be honest, lest you find yourself embarrassed and alone when the truth inevitably comes out. 'Start by getting over the idea that your age will hold you back,' said Trombetti. 'Anyone can date at any age, it's all about getting yourself out there and being vulnerable.' Attracting the right person is less about flaunting all of your accomplishments, and more about showing your warmth and personality. This is your opportunity to shine. Remember, you're not applying for a job, but rather attracting someone to spend time with the real you. Prospective matches look for 'green flags,' or signals that they could share similar values and lifestyle preferences. Along with your vocation, tell your dates about your hobbies, activities, or volunteer roles so they have a chance to see your character, personality and interests. It's common to be apprehensive when dating as an older person, and rightfully so. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 147,000 complaints in 2024 from Americans over 60 years old who were the victims of a scam. The losses of those victims reached nearly $4.9 billion. Complaints increased by 46% year over year—with financial losses swelling 43%— and Trombetti expects it will continue to rise as scammers become more tech-savvy. Moreover, older men are more vulnerable to sweetheart scams, says Trombetti, where a potential match uses deceptive tactics to gain trust and access someone's money. 'Stay alert and focused when meeting someone new,' she advised, whether that's a friend or romantic interest. To protect your money, emotions and well-being, Trombetti says you should take your time and ask your romantic interest deep questions during the courtship phase to assess their character below the surface. As always, practice safe sex, and keep your finances private until your partner demonstrates consistent trustworthiness. Safety is another reason why many older men work with a matchmaking service to weed out any suspicious opportunists. One way to address safety while easing your way into a new relationship is to schedule a phone call before the first in-person date. Chats on the phone can also be an opportunity for romance to build naturally. The first phone call matters. It sets the tone and builds anticipation, and it's much more intimate than texting, where deciphering the other person's tone is often impossible. It can also be a fun way to start flirting and see if sparks fly. Talking on FaceTime or Zoom is also an easy way to screen for catfishing—make sure the person's voice, face, and personality match their profile—while warming up to a new romantic prospect. 'Seniors can often feel like they have their routine already, and someone new might shake things up,' writes Trombetti about her matchmaking clients. That can be daunting, especially to men who value their independence. 'However, you can still keep your independence when you have a partner,' Trombetti said. Her advice is to think of your potential date as someone who won't take away who you are, but rather make you shine brighter and complement your individuality. When it comes to finding love, age shouldn't be a factor. You shouldn't limit yourself to a handful of disappointing dates. Approximately 36% of adults 65 and older say they are single, according to the Pew Research Center in 2020, and at least 25% of them are looking for dates. Trombetti advises men in particular to be careful not to let frustration eliminate them from the dating pool and miss out on possible connections. Now more than ever, people are living longer, more satisfying lives. As science expands and improves, people are staying healthier. Sure, you may be retired from your career or vocation—but why should you retire from dating? This story was produced by Exclusive Matchmaking and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
