What You Didn't Know About John Travolta's Only Son Ben

John Travolta has been a part of Hollywood for decades, but outside of the spotlight, he has a much bigger role: a dad. He and his late wife, Kelly Preston, had three children: a son named Jett Travolta, born in 1992 but tragically died in 2009; a daughter named Ella Bleu Travolta, born in April 2000; and a son named Benjamin Travolta, born in 2010. 

As the youngest member of the Travolta family, Ben, as he is affectionately called, has largely stayed out of the public eye. Travolta has occasionally given fans a look at his son's life through social media, sharing everything from birthday tributes and his hobbies to photos documenting family moments, most of which feature Ben's big sister, Ella. However, Ben rarely makes public appearances alongside his famous dad and seems content with just being a kid.

As he has gotten older, Ben has started to develop interests of his own. He has shown an affinity for sports and the outdoors. Ben seems to have inherited his love of adventure from his dad and is involved in a variety of activities, including parkour and skiing. He's also had opportunities to explore some pretty unique places, even getting to travel to Japan in 2023. So, what is there to know about the youngest Travolta? From his family background to the interests he's developed over the years, here's a closer look at Ben.

Kelly Preston and John Travolta welcomed their son, Ben Travolta, on November 23, 2010, just one year after the couple experienced a shocking loss. Their son Jett Travolta died in January 2009 at age 16 after suffering a seizure while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas. His death was a devastating blow to the family, and Travolta and Preston largely stepped away from the spotlight to grieve the loss of their son. Today, Travolta's touching tribute to his late son keeps his memory alive.

However, a little more than one year after Jett's death, Travolta and Preston announced that they were expecting another child. "We had been trying [to conceive] for quite a few years, and then of course there was a time when we weren't, and then we started trying again," Preston told Health after welcoming Ben, according to People magazine. "When I found out I was pregnant, I was floored. I'd snuck out of bed and then came back and woke Johnny up in bed. We both started crying. It was wonderful." 

"John, Kelly and their daughter Ella Bleu are ecstatic and very happy about the newest member of the family," they said in a statement at the time, per People. Preston and Travolta were open about how much Ben's arrival meant to them during such a difficult period. While Ben could never replace the son they lost, his birth marked a new chapter for the family.

Ben Travolta's arrival came at a time when the Travoltas were still trying to figure out how to move forward without Jett Travolta. Losing a child had changed the family forever, and John Travolta has opened up about how difficult that period was for him and Kelly Preston. But having another baby gave the family something to focus on and brought a new kind of happiness into their home. In a 2016 interview with ABC News, Travolta reflected on how special Ben's arrival truly was. "We certainly have bonded together. And certainly, having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to re-bond after tremendous loss," he said. 

Of course, Ben's birth didn't erase the pain of losing Jett, but it gave the family a new reason to look toward the future. His arrival also made Ella Bleu a big sister and helped the family reconnect. In the years that followed, the family kept Jett's memory alive through social media posts and comments during interviews. Following the tragic death of Preston in 2020, Travolta continued to speak about Jett while also sharing glimpses of his life with Ben and Ella.

Over the years, Ben Travolta's relationship with his dad has become especially close. John Travolta often shares glimpses of the two of them together, whether they're traveling or simply spending time as a family. After losing Jett Travolta and later Kelly Preston, his relationship with Ben and daughter Ella Bleu Travolta became even more special. While Travolta keeps some aspects of his family life private, he hasn't been shy about celebrating his children by sharing photos and videos of them on social media, often marking birthdays and other milestones with heartfelt messages. "Happy birthday my Ben! From your Dad, Ella and Peanut!! We love you so much," Travolta captioned an Instagram post in November 2022.

Travolta and his son have even bonded over their love of aviation. "Ben is into it already, excited. He's a child aviator," the actor told Extra in 2016. Three years later, he shared a photo of Ben sitting in the cockpit of an Airbus A380. "My son Ben is taking my place," he captioned the Instagram post. Aviation has been a major part of Travolta's life for decades. He earned his pilot's license when he was just 22 and has owned several aircraft, including a Boeing 707 he purchased in 1998. He even had a private runway at his Florida home, allowing him to keep his planes close by.

It's no secret that Ben Travolta has been through some tragic things, but nothing, perhaps, was more devastating than the loss of his mother, Kelly Preston. The actress, best known for her roles in films like "Twins" and "Jerry Maguire," was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2018. Two years later, Preston died at the age of 57. "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends," a rep for the family said in a statement, according to People magazine.

Preston left behind her husband, John Travolta, and her two children, Ella Bleu and Ben, the latter of whom was just 9 years old at the time. In a candid interview with Kevin Hart, the "Grease" star opened up about the heartbreaking discussion he had with Ben, who was worried about losing his dad, too. "I said, 'Well, it's a very different thing.' And I went through the differences about my longevity and her limited life," Travolta said on "Hart to Heart" (via People). "I said, 'But you know, Ben ... you always love the truth and I'm going to tell you the truth about life. Nobody knows when they're gonna go or when they're going to stay.'" 

He went on to say that Jett Travolta died too young but explained that anyone could die at any time. "So let's look at it like it's part of life. You don't know exactly. You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can," Travolta told his young son.

Ben Travolta may be the youngest member of the family, but he is quickly catching up to his famous dad in another way: via his height. John Travolta stands around 6 feet 2 inches tall, and photos of the father and son together show just how much of a head-turning height transformation Ben has had over the years. The "Face/Off" actor has occasionally shared pictures of Ben on social media, giving fans a glimpse at just how much the teenager has changed as he's gotten older. "My beautiful babies in my belated Christmas card 2025. Hope all is going well," Travolta captioned an Instagram post in February 2026. In the snap, Ben was noticeably taller than his dad.

Fans have also noticed other similarities between Ben and his famous father, with many pointing out that the teenager bears a striking resemblance to Travolta. After the actor shared an Instagram post celebrating Ben's 13th birthday in 2023, many fans confirmed their speculation. "Such a little Travolta cutie pie," one Instagram user commented. "Ben looks like his Dad when he was younger," another Instagram comment read.

If you take a look at John Travolta's photos on social media, you'll probably notice a sweet pup sprinkled throughout the memories. The family dog, Peanut, officially became a Travolta in 2022. "Ben adopted this dog from last nights Oscar tribute to Betty White," the actor captioned an Instagram post. The majority of pictures that Travolta posts of Ben Travolta include Peanut, who truly is part of the family. 

In April 2022, for example, Travolta, Ella Bleu Travolta, and Ben Travolta made a video to wish fans a happy Easter. In the Instagram share, Travolta and Ella held a large gray Easter bunny while Ben received tons of kisses from Peanut. In November of that same year, Travolta took to Instagram to wish Ben a happy birthday, and chose a picture of his son cuddling with a sleeping Peanut. "Happy birthday my Ben! From your Dad, Ella and Peanut!! We love you so much!!" Travolta captioned the post. 

Of course, there are plenty of photos featuring Travolta and Peanut together, too, which proves that Ben likely gets his love of furry friends from his dad. "She's brought the biggest joy to our family," Travolta wrote of Peanut in a 2024 Instagram post.

Ben Travolta is a pretty cool kid and he's into pretty cool kid things. In 2022, John Travolta shared a video of his son at an open gym doing parkour. "My Spider-Man Ben," Travolta captioned the Instagram post, which showed Ben jumping around and scaling walls. Ben was clearly comfortable moving around the gym, jumping over obstacles and using the walls to help him navigate the course. Parkour takes a fair amount of coordination, balance, strength, and confidence, and Ben made it all look easy. It also isn't difficult to see why Travolta compared his son to Spider-Man. 

The Marvel superhero is known for effortlessly climbing walls and moving through the city, and Ben's parkour session had a similar energy. Of course, Ben wasn't swinging between buildings or wearing a superhero suit, but you get the idea. Parkour isn't the only activity Ben has enjoyed over the years. In a 2019 interview with People magazine, Travolta said of his son: "He's into gymnastics, tennis, fishing and the computer world, like all the kids."

Ben Travolta has clearly developed a serious love of skiing, and it looks like he's pretty good at it, too. John Travolta has shared quite a few videos of his youngest son on the slopes, including a March 2024 video that showed Ben taking on an impressive run. "I'm so proud of my son Ben's progress!! First clip is the steepest run in Snowmass!" Travolta captioned an Instagram post. Ben wasn't simply taking it easy on the mountain, either. The footage showed him making his way down the slopes with confidence and ease. Travolta used the song "Learn to Fly" by the Foo Fighters to accompany the video, which seemed fitting.

Several months later, Travolta shared another look at Ben's skiing progress. "Ben's summer snow ski adventures in the southern hemisphere!" the actor wrote on Instagram in October 2024. In this particular video, Ben looked really comfortable on his skis, racing down the mountain, doing 360 turns, and even getting serious air on some cool-looking jumps. In December 2025, Ben got to ski Zermatt, which sits at the foot of the Matterhorn. "Ben learned some new tricks in Switzerland," Travolta captioned an Instagram post. Even Ben's sister Ella Bleu Travolta was hyped. "Incredible!!!!!!" she wrote in the comments section of the video.

If there's one place fans can get a glimpse into Ben Travolta's life, it's his dad's Instagram page. John Travolta regularly includes his youngest son in posts celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other special moments that they share as a family. "Happy Birthday my dear Ben! I can't believe how quickly you've grown up! I love you," Travolta captioned an Instagram post in November 2025. He included a photo of Ben standing on a rock in front of a big lake and an even bigger mountain. A couple of weeks later, Travolta shared a photo of Ben skiing. "My son! This is the start of the new season! Proud of you Ben," he captioned that Instagram share. 

The posts give fans a look into Travolta's life with his kids outside of Hollywood. It's important to note that Travolta doesn't use his social media accounts to share every detail of his children's lives, and Ben himself maintains a relatively low profile. That makes the occasional family photos and videos feel a little more special.

There comes a time when social media becomes a bigger part of everyday life for most teenagers. But while John Travolta has been sharing photos of his son for years, Ben Travolta hasn't quite locked in on the whole Instagram thing — at least publicly. He has an Instagram account, but he's uploaded only two videos, both of which were posted in 2026. "Skiing in niseko, best runs of my life. @1000skis your skis are next!" he captioned an Instagram post in February 2026. Two months later, Ben shared another skiing video: "Loving my @1000skis in verbier," he captioned that Instagram post. Both uploads were joint posts with his dad, which makes sense considering he is a minor. 

Ben has a little more than 26,000 followers, and he follows fewer than 200 people, including his dad and his sister, Ella Bleu Travolta. His posts tend to draw fans of his father, with many leaving comments praising his skiing skills.

Ben Travolta hasn't followed in his parents' footsteps into acting — at least not yet. His older sister, Ella Bleu Travolta, has already started building a career in the entertainment industry, following in the footsteps of John Travolta and Kelly Preston. Ella made her acting debut as a child in the 2009 film "Old Dogs," which also starred her dad, and later appeared alongside him in "The Poison Rose" and "Get Lost." 

As for Ben, the world is his oyster. At 15, he's still got plenty of time to figure out what he wants to do, and so far, there hasn't been much indication that acting is at the top of his list. Instead, he's been busy with school and all the other things that come with being a teenager. But that doesn't mean Ben will never follow his family into Hollywood. After all, he is Hollywood royalty. 

His dad is one of the most recognizable actors of his generation, and his late mother had a long career in Hollywood. If Ben eventually decides he wants to give acting a shot, he certainly won't have to look far for advice. For now, though, Ben seems perfectly happy being a kid and figuring things out at his own pace.