TOTTIE GOLDSMITH 'I'll be there for Chloe Like Olivia was for me'

As ONJ's daughter grapples with the loss of her famous mother, the family are rallying around her

- Jenny Brown

As a sad little girl deserted by her mother, Tottie A Goldsmith always had somebody to lean on - her aunt Olivia Newton-John.

Despite her global fame, Olivia was never too busy to listen or advise as her niece grew up and followed her into the entertainment business.

Now that's a blessing Tottie hopes to return, comforting Olivia's grief-stricken 36-year-old daughter Chloe Lattanzi after the music and movie legend's untimely death.

"Olivia was more than an aunt to me," Tottie recalls, in an exclusive interview with Woman's Day. "My mother, her sister Rona, went to live in England when I was about two and pretty much started a new life there.

"I got to know her when I was older, but Olivia was always more of a mother to me. She was the one who wanted us to feel loved and important. She was just beautiful, very maternal. I don't think a week ever went by when she didn't check in. It was so heartfelt.

"As time went by, it turned into more of a friendship. When I needed relationship advice, I would always ask Olivia because she was only 14 years older than me. It was like we belonged to the same tribe - the same sense of humour and working in the same industry.

"Since Olivia died, Chloe and I have been in touch a lot. If anything, it's drawn us closer. We mean so much to each other. I care for her deeply, it's really strong. She gets me and I get her.

PAYING IT FORWARD

"Olivia stepped up for me in the maternal role and I guess I'm doing the same for Chloe. It feels very natural between the two of us. She's 36 and I'm 60, so I could be her mother!"