The unfortunate passing of Kelly Preston due to breast cancer has brought much sadness to the world. Loving thoughts and prayers have been sent to her husband, award-winning actor John Travolta, who also lost a previous love to the same illness.
The story of Travolta and Preston is one of Hollywood’s most legendary. The pair were married for almost 29 years, and through it all, they shared the best and worst with us.
They first met at a screen test for a comedy movie called The Experts (1989), which they both starred in. Travolta was immediately taken with the beauty and grace of Preston, but for her it was less instant.
At the time, Preston was married to actor Kevin Gage. In an interview with Andy Cohen in 2018, the host asked Preston whether it was love at first sight for her and Travolta. “Kinda,” she replied.
“Well I was not that happily married, let’s put it that way,” Preston said. “I was really with the wrong person.
At their first meeting, the famed couple had to dance together. As we all know from his roles in Grease and Saturday Night Fever, Travolta has moves, and they must have helped him get the girl of his dreams, as Preston later admitted that the dance is what started it all.
On the day, a mutual friend told Travolta, “You’re going to meet this girl and you’re going to fall in love with her, and you’re going to want to get married.” How serendipitous!
Preston divorced Gage, and eventually began dating Travolta. Their love blossomed and in 1990 on New Year’s Eve in Switzerland, Travolta proposed with a 6-carat diamond ring.
The next year they eloped to Paris and got married on September 5, 1991. Kelly admitted that the wedding planning at home became too much for her to handle. “The wedding got so big and so crazy. I thought once the florist’s assistant got an assistant, I was done,” she said in a 2018 interview.
The pair, who are both Scientologists, had a Scientology minister perform their nuptials.
Soon after, they made their way back to Florida, for another wedding to make it legal after they found out that their Paris nuptials would not be accepted by US law.
On April 13, 1992, their first child, Jett, was born. Family life was very important to them, and in 2000 they welcomed their second child, Ella.
They tragically lost their firstborn when he was 16 (in 2009) after he suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome as a child and had a history of seizures. To this day, Jett’s birthday is still celebrated.
A year later, the family welcomed another member, Benjamin. It was surprising to everyone, as Kelly was already 48 at the time and she had admitted that they tried for another child for years without success.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was floored,” Kelly told People Magazine. “I’d snuck out of bed and then came back and woke Johnny up in bed. We both started crying. It was wonderful.”
Despite the loss and tough times, the two stuck together. Preston told People Magazine that, just like at their first meeting, they often danced together, and they always looked for moments to have fun together.
“A relationship doesn’t just happen,” she said. “You have to work at it. You’ve got to keep it fun and that’s what we do.”
In 2018, tragedy struck the family again, when Preston was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite being public about their losses in the past, the family decided they would not publicise her illness.
On July 12, 2020 Travolta made the heartbreaking announcement that his beloved wife had passed on.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side. Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal. All my love, JT,” he wrote.
Their love lasted through years of Hollywood life, though trauma and sadness, and always came out stronger. Our condolences to her loved ones.
Image: Instagram / John Travolta
