Author Says Olivia Newton-John Was Haunted by Patrick McDermott's 2005 Disappearance
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 23
Author Says Olivia Newton-John Was Haunted by Patrick McDermott's 2005 Disappearance
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 23
Matthew Hild says in his new Olivia Newton-John biography that Patrick McDermott’s 2005 disappearance haunted the singer for the rest of her life and left her without closure.
Hild said Newton-John ultimately believed McDermott, 48, drowned during an overnight fishing trip off California, despite years of rumors that he faked his death and was living in Mexico.
No proof ever backed those sightings, Hild said, even after Newton-John hired security expert Gavin de Becker to investigate; the search found no tangible evidence that McDermott was alive.
The case also brought relentless tabloid scrutiny while Newton-John and McDermott were still on-and-off partners, and Hild said she later grew protective of McDermott’s ex-wife and son.
A 2009 Coast Guard statement said its investigations found no evidence of criminal action, suicide, accident or hoax and suggested McDermott was lost at sea, but the mystery continued to shadow Newton-John until her 2022 death.
Could modern tech finally solve the 21-year mystery of the man who vanished from Olivia Newton-John's life?
Why was the 'faked death' theory of Olivia Newton-John's ex officially dismissed despite his crushing debt?
What does Patrick McDermott's son, now an adult, believe truly happened to his father at sea?