John Travolta is one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, known for his roles in films like Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction.
But off-screen, Travolta has faced a great deal of personal heartbreak and loss, including the death of his beloved wife Kelly Preston in 2020.
Preston died at the age of 57 following a two-year battle with breast cancer, and her family is still grieving for her. Recently, John Travolta shared a sweet tribute to his wife on what would’ve been her 60th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my favorite dance partner! We love you and miss you Kelly,” the actor wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of him with Preston.
The couple’s daughter, 22-year-old singer Ella Travolta, also shared her own tribute on social media, a slideshow of old photos of her and her mom.
“Happy Birthday, Mamma,” Ella wrote. “We love you.”
Kelly Preston and John Travolta
Kelly Preston was a successful actress with a decades-long career in Hollywood. Some of her notable films include Twins, Jerry Maguire and For the Love of the Game.
She met John Travolta while filming the 1987 film The Experts, and they married in 1991.
The couple had three kids together: Jett, Ella, and Benjamin.
The Hollywood couple worked together on several films, including Battlefield Earth, Old Dogs and Gotti.
Travolta and Preston enjoyed a very happy marriage, which lasted nearly 30 years.
“To my dearest Johnny, the most wonderful man I know. You have given me hope when I have felt lost, loved me patiently and unconditionally… made me laugh harder than any other human being possible… shared the most beautiful highs and at times lows,” Preston wrote on Instagram on their 28th anniversary.
“You’re a dream Daddio and make life so much fun!! I trust my love with you implicitly… with you I know I will always be okay no matter what happens… I love you forever and completely.”
Death of Jett Travolta
While the couple remained strong for three decades, they also faced a devastating personal loss.
Their 16-year-old son Jett, who had autism and had a history of seizures, died in 2009 while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas.
The cause of death was a seizure. His sudden passing devastated Travolta.
“It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in my life,” Travolta told Us Magazine in 2019. “The truth is, I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”
“He brought me so much joy. He was my everything,” Travolta wrote in a Facebook post. “Those 16 years of being his father taught me how to love unconditionally.”
The couple started the Jett Travolta Foundation in their son’s memory, a nonprofit which provides resources to children with vision, hearing and mobility impairments.
Death of Kelly Preston
On July 13, 2020, John Travolta announced that Kelly Preston had died at the age of 57, following a two-year battle with breast cancer.
“She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,” the actor wrote, while also thanking the medical staff that treated his wife during her cancer battle.
“Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered… please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”
A representative for the family said the actress chose to keep her battle with cancer private, but was “supported by her closest family and friends.”
“She was a bright, beautiful, and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched,” the representative told People.
Needless to say, Kelly Preston’s death was devastating for her husband and their children. Over the past two years, Travolta has largely stepped away from Hollywood to be with his family during their time of grief.
In an interview with Esquire Mexico, Travolta opened up about the experience: “I have learned that mourning someone, mourning, is personal,” Travolta told Esquire Spain. “Mourning is individual and only your own journey can heal you.”
“This is different from someone else’s journey. The most important thing you can do to help another when they are in mourning is to allow them to live it and not complicate it with yours. That’s my experience.”
“I will ensure the future of my children, help them with what they want to do with their lives,” Travolta added.
It’s heartbreaking to lose the love of your life so young — our hearts are with John Travolta and his family as they remember the late great Kelly Preston 💔
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