Olivia shot to fame as Sandy in the classic film Grease (Image: Getty)
Film star Olivia Newton-John reportedly believed her former partner either drowned or met a tragic end after he mysteriously vanished during a fishing trip off the California coast. Cameraman Patrick McDermott disappeared in June 2005 after boarding an overnight fishing excursion near San Pedro, Los Angeles. He was 48 years old at the time.
Over the years, the mystery surrounding his disappearance sparked widespread speculation, with theories ranging from accidental drowning to claims he had faked his own death and fled to Mexico. However, according to a new biography about the late Grease star, Newton-John never believed the more sensational rumours.
The couple were together for a long time before he disappeared (Image: Getty)
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The claims appear in A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John by author Matthew Hild. Speaking in the book, Newton-John’s friend and collaborator Liona Boyd said the singer believed McDermott had either drowned or been killed.
Boyd claimed Newton-John dismissed rumours he had secretly started a new life abroad, saying she did not believe the alleged sightings of him in Mexico.
The singer began dating McDermott following her divorce from Matt Lattanzi in the mid-1990s. In her 2018 memoir, Newton-John described their romance as “on-again, off-again” and confirmed they were no longer together when he vanished.
Questions continued to swirl after reports emerged suggesting McDermott had experienced financial difficulties before disappearing.
Patrick McDermott’s boat, Freedom, became central to the investigation (Image: Getty)
Australian journalist Louise Pennell told NBC News in 2005 there had been speculation about money troubles, including issues relating to alimony payments to his ex-wife, actress Yvette Nipar.
The fishing boat McDermott boarded, named Freedom, later became central to the long-running mystery.
Private investigator John Nazarian claimed in 2016 that possible sightings in Mexico had been investigated, including reports McDermott may have been travelling with a woman believed to have a German accent.
Despite years of rumours and investigations, no definitive evidence ever emerged.
According to the biography, Newton-John later hired security expert Gavin de Becker, who sent investigators to Mexico in an attempt to trace McDermott, but the search reportedly found nothing.
Olivia found love again with her husband John Easterling (Image: Getty)
The United States Coast Guard eventually concluded McDermott was most likely “lost at sea” before officially closing the investigation in 2008.
Newton-John later admitted the uncertainty continued to haunt her.
In a 2009 interview with Women’s Weekly, she said: “I think there will always be a question mark… I don’t think I will ever really be at peace with it.”
The actress and singer eventually found happiness again, marrying businessman John Easterling in 2008.
The couple remained together until Newton-John’s death in 2022 at the age of 73 following her long battle with breast cancer.