In the many years since losing his late son Jett and late wife Kelly Preston, John Travolta still finds meaningful ways to tribute their memory.
The Grease actor has dedicated his latest film, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, to his family – particularly Jett and Kelly.
“I dedicated the film to Kelly, to my son Jett, to my brothers and sisters, to my mother and my father, because they are the model from which this film was born,” he told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Adding, “Life has certainly tested me… I’m not made to remain absorbed in the darkness. I can look at the darkness, but I don’t choose to die in that darkness.”
John lost his son Jett Travolta in 2009. The 16-year-old suffered from a seizure, causing Jett to hit his head during a family vacation in the Bahamas. His parents later revealed his history of frequent seizures, and was diagnosed with autism, asthma and Kawasaki Syndrome.
Following his passing, John described the death of his son as “the worst thing that’s ever happened in my life.”
“The truth is, I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he said on-stage at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. “Life was no longer interesting to me, so it took a lot to get me better.”
Eleven years later, his wife Kelly Preston passed away in July 2020 following a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was just 57 at the time. In Hollywood, Kelly was known for her roles in The Cat in the Hat, Jerry Maguire, Sky High, and Twins.
“Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends,” a representative said, confirming her passing.
“She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched.”
John and Kelly wed in September 1991 in Paris, France. During almost 30 years of marriage, they welcomed three children together: Jett, Ella, and Benjamin.
