Alex Carson
2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, filled with unbearable amounts of loss. Unfortunately, it has also been an incredibly difficult year for legendary actor John Travolta, who had to say a heartbreaking goodbye to his wife, Kelly Preston.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston were both accomplished actors, which makes their long romance quite surprising. Many Hollywood romances are known for being passionate but short-lived. For Travolta and Preston, however, it was entirely different. The two married on September 5th, 1991, and remained married for a total of 28 years until Preston’s tragic death. They were deeply in love with one another, and had one of the most solid and romantic relationships in Hollywood history.
In 2018, however, their marriage faced its most difficult obstacle. Kelly Preston was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 55. While many people are able to survive breast cancer, the disease always entails a long and difficult struggle. Kelly Preston and John Travolta both knew that, even if Preston was able to survive the cancer, it would be a painful and winding road towards recovery. The family kept her condition very private. After all, while the family could have expected an outpour of support, some things are easier to deal with in private. It’s no wonder they kept the illness under wraps; nobody wants their tragic battle with cancer to be published on tabloids all over the world.
Kelly Preston received state of the art treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She battled her breast cancer for two years, but even with dozens of doctors to care for her, the illness ultimately won. She was surrounded by loving friends and family when she died on July 12th, 2020 in her home in Anthony, Florida.
John Travolta and Preston’s children were devastated, and while they ultimately had to announce the news on Instagram, they had a family representative ask to leave the family to grieve in private. After a few months of grieving in solitude, John Travolta finally came forward to thank his fans for all of their support. Still, we all know that the death of his beloved wife will affect him for the rest of his life.
In today’s video, we’re going to take a look at the life and legacy that Kelly Preston left behind. Tragically, however, this isn’t the first untimely loss that the family suffered. Make sure you stick around, because we’re also going to talk about how John Travolta and Kelly Preston lost their young son eleven years ago.
A Long and Winding Road Towards Romance
Kelly Preston and John Travolta married in 1991, and stayed together for 28 years until Preston’s tragic death. Together they had three beautiful children: Jett, Ella, and Benjamin. However, it took both actors quite some time to discover “the one.”
Kelly Preston was involved in a number of high-profile romances before she finally settled down with Travolta. In 1985, she married actor Kevin Gage, but the two divorced in 1987, just two years after they tied the knot. In the late 1980s, she became yet another of the many women to become romantically involved with heartbreaker George Clooney, but the relationship didn’t last long. Finally, in 1990, she became engaged to yet another famous actor, Charlie Sheen. They broke off their engagement that same year. Rumors flew around that the reason behind their broken engagement was that Charlie Sheen shot her in the arm, but Kelly Preston officially put that wild rumor to rest in an interview with TMZ.
In 1987, the same year that she divorced Kevin Gage, Kelly Preston met John Travolta while filming The Experts. After a few wild and experimental romances, she finally realized that John Travolta was the one, and the two married on September 5th, 1991.
The Loss of John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s Son
While John Travolta and Kelly Preston remained happily married for 28 years, their relationship was not immune to tragedy. Together, the couple had three gorgeous children: Jett, who was born in 1992, Ella Bleu, who was born in 2000, Jett, and Benjamin, who was born in 2010. Their firstborn, Jett, however, secretly suffered from autism as well as Kawasaki disease when he was an infant. Another private health problem he struggled with was a long history of seizures.
In January of 2009, the family took a vacation to the Bahamas. What should have been a relaxing and joyous time, however, quickly turned into an unavoidable tragedy. Jett Travolta suffered a seizure, which ultimately led to his death on January 2nd, 2009. The family was devastated, but they weren’t even allowed to mourn their son’s death in peace. Several people, who the couple had thought were friends, attempted to use their son’s death as a means of extortion. Still in mourning, Kelly and John were forced to testify in court against the three men who had been involved in a multi-million dollar conspiracy. However, Travolta and Preston ultimately dropped charges, because discussing their son’s death in court became far too painful to continue.
While facing the tragedy of their son’s death, however, Kelly and John were able to rely on one another to make it through the ordeal. Their marriage remained intact even in the face of such adversity, and they remained together until their marriage was cut short by Preston’s untimely death.
Kelly Preston’s Impressive Career
Kelly Preston landed her first acting gig in 1980, when she appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-O. While it took a few years for her career to really lift off the ground, she finally landed her first memorable role in the 1985 film Mischief. Throughout the course of her career, she appeared in over sixty television and film productions, making for a rather impressive filmography. Some of her most famous films include SpaceCamp, What a Girl Wants, and Old Dogs.
Despite Kelly Preston’s impressive career, however, she and her husband John Travolta were both involved in some shady business. Make sure you stick around until the very end, where we’ll reveal how both she and her husband were firm believers in an organization that is now known widely as a cult! And if you’re enjoying this video so far, please take a moment to like this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
A Childhood of Ups and Downs
Kelly Preston was born on the beautiful island of Honolulu, Hawaii on October 13th, 1962. Sadly, however, she was no stranger to heartbreak and loss, even as a child. When she was just three years old, her father drowned. Thankfully, her mother, Linda Smith, remarried a kind man named Peter Palzis, who adopted Kelly Preston as his own daughter. While he could never make up for the loss of Preston’s biological father, he was still a strong father figure to her, and was supportive throughout her life.
She attended Punahou School in Honolulu at the same time as former President Barack Obama. She developed an interest in acting at a young age, and as a result, after graduating from high school, she studied drama and theatre at the University of Southern California.
It’s tragic that Kelly Preston had to face so much loss throughout her life, but she thankfully had a strong support system to help her through all of the heartbreak that she faced.
Her Selfless Work in Charity
Kelly Preston wasn’t just known for her work as an actor. She was also a firm believer in helping others, and she became involved in numerous charities as a result. Throughout her career, she became very invested in the issue of over-medication in children. While medication can be very helpful in treating mental and neurological disorders, many doctors will prescribe exorbitant amounts of medication with many ill side effects. She became a board member of the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, and also raised a lot of money for various charity events alongside her husband. She was primarily interested in charities that helped children, most likely due to the untimely death of her son.
Kelly Preston and John Travolta Were Both Scientologists
There’s no arguing that Kelly Preston was a wonderful and kind person. However, both she and her husband, John Travolta, were ensnared in the world of Scientology. Creator L. Ron Hubbard advertises Scientology as a religion, but it is actually a money-making scheme and a cult that countless people fall victim to every year. The organization has also been discredited due to many scandals and reported illegal activities.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s involvement in Scientology was incredibly controversial, as many people have lost friends and family members to the organization. Kelly Preston remained a firm believer in Scientology until her death. Still, even though her involvement in Scientology was controversial, there’s no denying that Kelly Preston was a talented actor who brought light and love to all of the close people in her life.
John Travolta was devastated by Kelly Preston’s death, but with the support of fans, friends, and family, he will surely be able to heal from the tragic loss. Were you more surprised to learn about the sad death of Travolta and Preston’s son, or about their firm belief in Scientology? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
