Mystery of Olivia Newton-John's ex-boyfriend who vanished 17 years ago

Following the devastating news of Olivia Newton-John's death, the mystery surrounding her ex-boyfriend has resurfaced.

Yesterday (8 August), the world was shocked by the news that the iconic Grease star had died.

Now, the mystery surrounding her ex-boyfriend Patrick McDermott, who disappeared back in 2005, is being examined once again.

Francis Specker / Alamy Stock Photo

Patrick, a cameraman by trade, got together with Olivia in 1996 - three years after he divorced his wife Yvette Nipar, with whom he had one child.

Patrick and Olivia were on and off for a few years, before ending things in 2005, shortly before his disappearance.

The cameraman, who was 48 years old at the time, was on an overnight fishing trip when he disappeared from the California coast.

There was a wallet and some personal items onboard the vessel, which led the US Coast Guard to believe that he'd 'most likely' drowned.

Francis Specker / Alamy Stock Photo

However, the circumstances surrounding Patrick's disappearance remained shrouded in mystery, with a 2009 investigation for Dateline suggesting that he'd faked his own death to avoid debts he owed.

The same year, Olivia had described the confusion and pain his disappearance had caused to the Australian Women’s Weekly magazine, saying: "I think there will always be a question mark […] I don’t think I will ever really be at peace with it."

Since then there have been numerous incidents of people claiming to have seen Patrick, with one private detective claiming that he saw the man living off the coast of Acapulco, but nothing was ever substantiated.

In March 2016, it was again alleged that Patrick was alive and well, living with a German girlfriend in Mexico.

REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

With no confirmation of what happened, Olivia was left wondering about the disappearance, and in 2016, she spoke again of McDermott's disappearance, saying: "It’s human to wonder but, you know, those are the things in life you have to accept and let go. Because whenever you go through difficult times, there’s always those concerns.

"But, I live on and of course questions come up, always – it’s human."

However, the disappearance brought Olivia closer to Patrick's ex-wife, Yvette, who the late actor described as a 'wonderful person'.

Olivia also checked in on Patrick's son, who she said was 'thriving' in an interview with Larry King.

While the death continued to haunt Olivia, she went on to find happiness three years after the disappearance, marrying John Easterling in 2008, who she was with until her death.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]