OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN’S ON/OFF BOYFRIEND WENT MISSING AT SEA IN 2005
Handsome, charming and funny, it was no mystery why singing and acting legend Olivia Newton-John fell in love with Patrick McDermott, even if he led a humble life working as a gaffer on film sets. The couple were together on and off for nearly nine years, until he ended the relationship, with some people claiming he struggled with being “Mr Newton-John” and had tired of the Hollywood fame game. But shortly after they split, on 30 June 2005, Patrick went missing.
He was on an overnight fishing trip off the coast of LA when he vanished without a trace. The case became a media sensation with rumours and theories swirling over what happened to him. Weeks, months, then years passed, and he was declared dead by drowning in 2008, despite no body being found. Although they had separated, Grease star Olivia was devastated and later wrote in her autobiography, “I had such an odd and hollow feeling…I’d been through cancer and divorce, but the idea of someone in my life being gone without a trace left me with an emptiness I hadn’t known before.”
When Olivia died last year, the story resurfaced, but it was already being re-examined in Spotify exclusive podcast Pseudocide. Hosted by Poppy Damon and Alice Fiennes, the series deep-dives into the 17-year mystery and offers four possible answers to Patrick’s mysterious disappearance…
ACCIDENT
Some people – including his family – believe Patrick simply fell into the sea and drowned. The boat company dispute this, and as the vessel was not huge and there were 22 other passengers on the trip, it seems strange he fell into the water with no witnesses.
However, when Poppy and Alice go to see the boat, called Freedom, they note how noisy the engine is. Could this have masked a splash and possible cries forhelp? Patrick’s friendJaseSmithis adamant it wasn’t an accident. “Patrick was a safety freak... there is no way he was sitting on a rail and fell in,” he says.
FOUL PLAY
Patrick was regarded by most who knew him as a peaceful person. However, his first wife, actress Yvette Nipar, reportedly said he could be “hostile and abusive”. And Jase said, “He was a mellow, spiritual person, but he would stand up for anybody to the point of getting in your face. I believe he may have had a fight with someone on the boat.” So, did Patrick have a row? And if so, did someone push him overboard? Was there a cover up?
SUICIDE
Patrick had a beloved son called Chance with his ex-wife, was gaining traction in his goal to be a Director of Photography, and was reported as being in fine spirits on the fishing trip. Fellow fishing enthusias
