On Sunday, July 12, actress Kelly Preston, wife of Italian-American actor John Travolta, passed away from breast cancer.
Preston, only 57 years old, was diagnosed two years earlier but chose to keep her illness from the public. Instead, she withdrew from the public eye while occasionally posting on Instagram. She was last photographed publicly back in 2018 at the premiere of the film Gotti, in which Travolta played John Gotti, and Preston played his wife, Victoria.
Preston was born in Honolulu and studied acting at the University of Southern California. Her first major acting role was in the 1985 movie, Mischief. She later went on to star in movies like SpaceCamp, Twins, and Jerry Maguire.
On Monday, Travolta wrote, “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered.”
The couple met back in 1988 during a screen test for the movie, The Experts. Three years later, Travolta proposed to Preston on New Year’s Eve in Switzerland. They were married later that year in Paris. In past interviews, Preston often spoke about their marriage and how romantic Travolta is. She said some of her fondest memories are times when Travolta would surprise her with dinner plans or small getaways on their plane.
The couple’s daughter, Ella, wrote a tribute to her on mother on Instagram saying, “Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help, and thank you for making this world a better place. You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama.”
Ella is the couple’s second child and only daughter. Their first son, Jett, was born in 1992. Ella was born in 2000, and their second son, Benjamin, was born in 2010. Sadly, Jett passed away in 2009 after a seizure.
Since the news of Preston’s death broke, an outpouring of sympathy from fans and fellow celebrities has appeared on social media sites. Many who knew the actress spoke about her being a kind and loving person. They said she had a wonderful personality that could light up a room.
Travolta’s former co-star Olivia Newton-John stated, “Kelly’s light shines on in her beautiful children.”
Sources:
- Kelly Preston’s Death [CNN]
- Preston dies of breast cancer at 57 [People]
- Condolences [The Blast]
- Feature Picture [Wikimedia]
