John Travolta’s emotional In Memoriam Oscars speech with nod to Olivia Newton-John

The 2023 Oscars, like many awards ceremonies that have come before it, was packed with emotion. From Brendan Fraser’s Best Actor acceptance speech to the 40-year reunion of Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford, heart strings were being tugged all over the glitzy affair. But there was another moment where the tears could not be fought back, as John Travolta stepped onto stage to introduce the In Memoriam segment.

Travolta remembers his dearest Olivia

When Olivia Newton-John passed away last August, her Grease co-star and close friend Travolta posted an image of her on social media. Alongside it he wrote:

‘My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!’

So, it was no surprise that his introduction speech for the section to remember those that have been lost in the previous year gave a nod to his friend, referencing the famous song ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ from their movie together.

“In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love. Since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community and this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we’ve lost who’ve dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera. Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us.

“They’ve touched our hearts. They’ve made us smile, and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to.”