Bindi Sue Irwin Remembers Fellow Animal Rights Activist Olivia Newton-John in Touching Post
Bindi Irwin is remembering the late Olivia Newton-John on Instagram. According to CNN, 73-year-old Newton-John passed away on August 8, 2022 after losing an on-going battle with breast cancer. But aside from her professional accomplishments, the Grease star was also a lifelong and devoted animal rights activist — a passion that she shared with Irwin.
Irwin paid tribute to Newton-John in a post on her personal Instagram page (@bindisueirwin). "One of the kindest and most wonderful souls the world has ever known," she wrote in the post's caption.
According to the Daily Mail, 24-year-old Irwin had a special relationship with Newton-John even after the passing of her father, Steve. Irwin even attended Newton-John's Cancer Wellness & Research Centre Gala in Melbourne in September 2017, after the entertainer was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Newton-John was an environmental and animal rights activist for many years before her passing. Including an organization called Animals Asia, which aims to "ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia," according to their Twitter page.
The star recently tweeted about the organization, writing "I cannot abide cruelty to animals and these poor bears lived in small cages for years before @AnimalsAsia rescued many of them - but many still need to be rescued!"
Newton-John also spoke out about her love of animals back in 2021 with Women's Weekly. "'It's very difficult these days to get away from the ugly and the bad, but nature balances you, I feel, because we are part of that. We are part of the natural kingdom," the Daily Mail reports she said. "As humans, we think we're separate but we're not," she added.
CNN reports that Newton-John had battled cancer several times in her life. In 2018, she revealed to the world that she was fighting cancer at the base of her spine, as well as two breast cancer diagnoses in the early '90s and 2017.
Her death was announced via her official Instagram page on August 8. "Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends," the statement reads. "We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time."
