John’s Grease love interest immediately reached out when she heard of Kelly’s passing – and has been helping him to heal ever since.
“John and Olivia have always been close. They clicked right away all those years ago, but this tragedy has bonded them even more,” reveals the insider.
“Olivia loved and respected Kelly and took her death very hard. There’s no-one in John’s inner circle who has been as close to him as Olivia has during all of this, and he doesn’t know what he’d do without all of their heart-to-heart talks.”
A breast cancer survivor herself, Olivia, 71, was one of the few friends John, 66, and Kelly confided in after the actress got her diagnosis two years ago.
“Olivia and Kelly discussed their individual situations, with Olivia offering advice, prayers and sometimes just an ear,” the insider says. “She was someone Kelly could talk to freely about her pain.”
Though Olivia had a front seat to Kelly’s fight, it didn’t make news of her passing easier.
“My heart breaks for John, Ella and Ben,” she wrote in an Instagram tribute, calling the late actress “a radiant, warm and gentle spirit”.
Now Olivia’s dedicated to helping devastated John pick up the pieces.
“They speak almost every day,” notes the insider. “She tries to occupy John with questions about the kids or crazy Grease fan requests – anything to keep his mind off losing the love of his life.”
However, Kelly is the topic that comes up most often.
“Sometimes, they just reminisce about the wonderful times they both were lucky enough to share with her,” adds the insider.
“Kelly may be gone, but John is adamant that she’s not forgotten – and Olivia isn’t going to let that happen either.”
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