The Tragic Death Of Kelly Preston
John Travolta may have been a fixture on the '70s and '80s silver screen, but the woman behind the man made a name in her own right. Kelly Preston, 57, has tragically passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. The actress, whose credits date back to 1980, starred in notable roles on hit series like Hawaii Five-O, Quincy M.E., Tale from the Crypt, and Medium. Preston also had a part in the blockbuster movie Jerry Maguire in 1996, and more recently shared the screen with Travolta in 2018's Gotti in which she played the formidable Victoria Gotti (via IMDb).
A family representative revealed in a statement to People, "On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer. Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, 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. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time."
John Travolta remembers Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston, who is survived by husband John Travolta, is also survived by children Ella, 20, and Benjamin, 9. Travolta took to Instagram on Sunday evening with the heartbreaking news of his wife's passing.
"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," he said. "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."
The Travolta family is no stranger to heartache
Kelly Preston's death is another tragedy for the Travolta family, who lost Jett Travolta in 2009. Kelly and John's son was just 16 when he died of a seizure in January of that year while on vacation with the family in the Bahamas. Jett had a history of seizures and was previously diagnosed with Kawasaki Syndrome, a condition that causes inflammation of the arteries. He sadly lost his life after he fell and hit his head on the bathtub.
Travolta took to being a father instantly. In 1994 he told People, "I can't imagine what life would be like without Jett. After he was born and cleaned up, I held him for hours while Kelly slept. When they came to take him away for various tests, I said, 'No, you can't see him today. You'll have to do it another day.' I went a little nutsy."
In 2014, during an on-stage interview at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in central London, the BBC reported that Travolta admitted the death of his son was "the worst thing that's ever happened in my life." He continued, "The truth is, I didn't know if I was going to make it. Life was no longer interesting to me, so it took a lot to get me better."
The death of his wife of almost three decades must be a crushing blow to a man that has already suffered so much.
Kelly Preston's last Instagram post is a tearjerker
Knowing that Kelly Preston was privately undergoing breast cancer treatment makes her last Instagram post on June 21 even more heartbreaking. The actress shared two images on Father's Day this year, each of John Travolta with his family. One image looks to be recent, with a beaming Preston surrounded by her family, and a second image captures Travolta smiling at a young Jett. Preston captioned the post, "Happy Father's Day to the best one I know, we love you."
Prior to that, on May 11, Preston shared snaps of her kids, captioning the Instagram post, "My beautiful babies... I love you with all of my heart. xxx"
These images are surely some that Ella, Benjamin, and John will treasure for the rest of their lives. Our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time.