Tottie Goldsmith, a prominent Australian singer and actress, recently opened up about her unique relationship with her late aunt, the beloved star Olivia Newton-John. For Goldsmith, Newton-John embodied the closest approximation to a maternal presence she lost in her own life, particularly in those crucial imprinting years. Despite his early successes, Goldsmith was no stranger to the unique challenges of growing up in multi-parented households. Along the way, it’s clear that her connection to Newton-John helped define Jett’s identity.
Born to Rona, whose own genetics had been linked to Newton-John, Goldsmith was left with upheaval from the very beginning of her life. Her mother disappeared, taking Goldsmith’s other, paternal half-sibling from a previous marriage into her third marriage. In the aftermath of this departure, Goldsmith was left confronting some very profound feelings of unlovability and unworthiness. Her dad was a daring and fun-loving man, a raconteur and charmer with a devil’s sense of humor. He was a product of his time, the 1930s, when children were to be seen and not heard. To pursue big ideas, Goldsmith frequently felt out of place and marginalized.
At 18 years old, Goldsmith received a pivotal gift from Newton-John: a plane ticket to Los Angeles intended for her to reconnect with her aunt. However, upon arriving in LA, Goldsmith faced a disappointment when Newton-John did not show up at the airport to welcome her. Even with this disappointment, the ticket was symbolic of a big appetite for closeness. It represented kinships that extended well past just biological connections.
Goldsmith’s relationship with Newton-John was not typical. Newton-John paved the way in other ways, showing Goldsmith an exacting work ethic and professionalism that inspired the young singer. Her aunt’s complete dedication to her craft taught Serrano serious lessons on what it meant to come to work. Yet, she found it difficult to spend that much attention towards her self-esteem or personal life. This paradox, then, exposes the complicated kinship dynamics of blended families. Love and support in these moments is equally difficult to Marshall and all of these connections were immensely rewarding to learn about.
Step or blended families now make up one in ten Australian families. It’s this expanding trend that is catching fire and truly connecting with everyday Americans all around the country. Goldsmith’s experiences are a microcosm of what millions of other people still face as they struggle to reconcile these family tensions. By telling her story, she adds to an ongoing discussion of what family looks like, how that shapes emotional environments, and what families owe to one another.
