EXCLUSIVE: Inside John Travolta's Messy Love Triangle With Princess Diana and Olivia Newton-John...and How He 'Was Having an Affair Of The Heart' With Both Ladies
John Travolta's secret love triangle with Princess Diana and Olivia Newton-John involved affairs of the heart.
July 25 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
She won his heart that night.
At a White House gala 40 years ago, John Travolta and Princess Diana took a spontaneous and romantic spin on the dance floor. It was 15 minutes of pure magic that stunned and delighted onlookers and went down as one of the most unforgettable dances in history, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sparked A Fire
Nancy Reagan quietly played matchmaker before that magical dance between John Travolta and Princess Diana.
It also sparked a fire between the movie star and the People's Princess.
"I know for a fact that it was a highlight of being in the United States – it was her favorite moment," recalled Travolta, 71, of that memorable night. Of course, several years earlier, John had shared another dance with another blond beauty that is forever etched in our minds: He starred in Grease with Olivia Newton-John.
The movie became a cultural phenomenon, raking in $366 million worldwide at the box office.
In the flick's finale, good girl Sandy transforms into a greaser girl for Danny, and Travolta and Newton-John performed You're the One That I Want.
Their chemistry was undeniable, said an insider, "just like it was with him and Princess Diana. John became enamored with Olivia, and years later, he was under Diana's spell, too. One might say he was having an affair of the heart with both of them."
The dance with Di almost didn't happen.
The occasion was a lavish state dinner, hosted by President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. The guest list was a dazzling blend of Washington, D.C.'s elite and Hollywood's biggest names – including Clint Eastwood and Tom Selleck.
According to Travolta, Mrs. Reagan discreetly told him that the princess wanted to dance with him, but he would need to take the lead.
"At midnight, I had to tap her on the shoulder and say, 'Would you care to dance?'" he recalled. "She turned around and dipped her head in that Lady Diana way, and we were off for 15 minutes of dancing."
Di was suddenly overcome with a panic attack.
"I put my hand in the middle of her back, brought her hand down so that it wouldn't be so high and gave her the confidence that we would do just fine," remembered Travolta, who later described those moments as "like a dream."
'Grease' memories flooded back as Travolta twirled with royalty to his greatest hits.
He felt as if he'd stepped into a movie scene with a princess who took his breath away.
"I got to be her Prince Charming for the evening," said John. The pair twirled to hits from the soundtracks of Saturday Night Fever and "Grease" — which, the insider says, probably made John think of that other special woman in his life, Olivia.
"For John, it was instant attraction with Olivia," says the insider. "Olivia was an older woman, five years his senior. He knew she was the kind of woman who would tell it to him straight; there was nothing pretentious about her. She was also warm and caring, and she had a captivating voice. No wonder he fell for her!"
John And Olivia's Bond
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Hollywood insiders recalled Olivia Newton-John's lasting impact on Travolta's heart.
But it was more than that.
"They formed a bond doing Grease and remained friends for decades and even collaborated on music," noted the insider.
"She was a constant support throughout all his highs and lows, and he was a devoted friend during her battle with cancer," which she succumbed to at age 73 in 2022.
The unbreakable bond Travolta shared with Newton-John was felt in his loving tribute to her following her death.
"My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," he wrote on social media. "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!"
