The famous Grammy singer, Olivia Newton-John held a terrifying opinion on the unexplained disappearance of her old-time boyfriend, Patrick McDermott, in the year 2005; that her boyfriend drowned at sea. Nearly four years after the singer's death in 2022, close friends have revealed her perspective on the case, which has sparked speculation for over two decades.
According to RadarOnline, McDermott a former cameraman who had dated Newton-John on and off for nine years, vanished during an overnight fishing trip off the coast of Los Angeles. His disappearance led to rumors that he either perished in the ocean or staged his own death to start a new life in Mexico amid financial troubles.
Liona Boyd, a close friend and collaborator of Newton-John, told author Matthew Hild for his new biography "A Little More Love" that the singer firmly believed McDermott had drowned. "She thought he drowned," Boyd said as per People. Newton-John did not believe the rumors of sightings in Mexico and dismissed them as false.
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At the time of McDermott's disappearance, Newton-John was not in the United States but in Melbourne, Australia. Friends noted that the couple's relationship was not traditional and had been marked by multiple breakups and reunions. Chong Lim, a longtime music director for Newton-John, recalled she confided in him about problems in their relationship, including McDermott's admitted financial difficulties shortly before he vanished.
Olivia Newton-John Believed Patrick McDermott Drowned at Sea
Despite her belief that McDermott was lost at sea, Newton-John took additional steps to find him. In her 2018 memoir "Don't Stop Believin'", she described hiring private investigators to search for McDermott in places in Mexico he had mentioned, but no evidence of his presence was found.
The U.S. Coast Guard closed its investigation in 2006 without finding any evidence of foul play or hoax and suggested that McDermott was lost at sea. A subsequent marine safety investigation was also closed in 2008 with similar conclusions.
Newton-John later found love again, marrying businessman John Easterling in 2008. She acknowledged the pain of not knowing McDermott's fate but expressed gratitude for her new relationship.
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