John Travolta Shares Touching Post In Memory Of Late Wife Kelly Preston For Mother’s Day

May 10, 2022

John Travolta has been through a lot in the past couple of years. He’s starred in some big movies like “Gotti,” “Savages” and “From Paris with Love,” but he’s also suffered tremendous heartbreak in the past two decades. In 2009, the star lost his son Jett while on vacation in the Bahamas, and the “Pulp Fiction Star” lost his wife, Kelly Preston, to cancer in July 2020. 

Preston, known for her roles in the films "Twins" and "Jerry Maguire" among others, passed away in July 2020 in Florida at the age of 57 after a long battle with breast cancer. 

Since then, John has made a few public mentions of the family's loss, as has his lookalike daughter Ella Bleu Travolta. The Travolta family celebrated their first Christmas without Preston in 2020, which was difficult without their beloved matriarch.

Naturally, the family has been grieving, but slowly and steadily, they've been showing that they're moving on in life, with Preston's memory firmly in their minds. John has always been a proud dad, and over the last couple of years, he has proven himself to be a true family man who's always there for his two children Ella and Benjamin.

In May 2022, John and the kids had to celebrate their second Mother's Day without Preston by their side. Though it was likely a difficult time for the family as they missed their mom, John made sure to honor his beloved wife on social media. His emotional tribute featured old photographs of the family and showed how much the Travolta family continues to miss Preston. 

John Travolta has been in the spotlight since the 1970s, having graced the screen in many classic movies, including "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever," through to his famed comeback in the 1990s in "Pulp Fiction", "Get Shorty," "Face/Off", and many more. His late wife Kelly Preston, who tragically lost her battle against breast cancer at the age of 57 in July 2020, was also a well-known actress, starring in such movies as "Jerry Maguire" and "For the Love of the Game."

Travolta met Preston on the set of their 1987 film The Experts. Although Preston was married to someone else at the time, she said in a 2018 interview she "was really with the wrong person" at the time. The couple started spending more time together, and soon enough, Preston and Travolta married in 1991, and over the following years, their children Jett, Ella Bleu, and Benjamin were born.

Tragically, however, Jett Travolta passed away in 2009 at the age of 16 due to an unexpected seizure and resulting fall. One year after the Travoltas lost Jett, they lost their two family dogs. The canines were run over and killed in an accident at Maine's Bangor International Airport, as ABC News reports. This, together with Preston's untimely death in 2020, means that the Travolta family is no stranger to tragedy. In the light of this, it is completely understandable that the remaining children and their father have formed a very close bond.

In 2021, John took to social media on Mother's day and shared a sweet remembrance post for Preston. The Instagram post sported only a short but poignant caption: 

"Dearest Kelly, you brought into my life three of the most wonderful children I have ever known. Thank you. We love and miss you. Happy Mother's Day."

For Mother's Day in 2022, John posted a beautiful video that featured old photographs of their family. He added a short and sweet caption to the post, "We love and miss you Kelly. Happy Mother’s Day." The video montage of family photos was set to Barbra Streisand’s iconic song "That Face."

The four-and-half minute clip begins with the words "From me to you" with John's photograph before the photographs of the kids, Ella and Benjamin, as well as the couple appear. The video included photos that feature John and Preston's son Jett. The video goes to show that the Travolta family is truly close and loves each other dearly, and they continue to live their lives honoring their mother. 

Ella also posted her own tribute to her mom on Instagram. Her post included an adorable photo of Ella as a toddler with Preston, and both are smiling widely while on a ride at an amusement park. She captioned the post, "I’ve learned a lot from all of the strong and powerful women in my life, I thank you all for being such wonderful role models. I miss and love you, mama. Happy Mothers to all of the wonderful moms out there!💖" 

Though it is likely that Ella and Benjamin miss their mom even more on Mother's Day, it is beautiful to see how they keep her memory alive and lead their lives in honor of her. Losing a parent is one of the most painful events in life, but with John's support in their life, Ella and Benjamin still have a lot to be thankful for. 

What did you think about John Travolta's sweet tribute to his late wife? Did you do something to commemorate somebody important to you that was lost? Tell us your stories and pass this along to your friends and family.