Before Losing Kelly Preston, John Travolta Also Lost Former Girlfriend Diana Hyland to Breast Cancer

Apr 05, 2022 by apost team

John Travolta has been stealing hearts since the 1970s. The heartthrob burst onto Hollywood's scene when he appeared in a succession of films, including "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," and quickly he became a rising star. And although his career has had its ups and downs, he's always managed to rise back to the top.

Now almost 70 years old, John is in a different stage of his life, but he's certainly still a heartthrob. His looks haven't changed all too much, but his hair, just like his acting career, has also had quite the journey. From long '70s styles to short cuts and now, a shaved head, John's hairdos over the years have run the full gamut.

Tragically, John lost his son Jett to a seizure in 2009. The family mourned the loss, and in 2011 they welcomed another son, Ben, into their lives. Sadly, 2020 was also a hard year for the family, as John's wife of nearly three decades, actress Kelly Preston, passed away in July after a 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.

After taking some time to grieve in private and to be there for his daughter and son, John began making a reappearance on social media in late 2020, often posting moving tributes to his late wife and honoring her legacy.

Before he met Preston, John was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland. Tragically, Hyland also lost her life to breast cancer. The couple dated for a year, and John was there when Hyland passed away in 1977. Read on to find out more about Travolta's love life and his relationship with Diana Hyland.

John first met Kelly Preston in 1987 at a screen test for "The Experts," but as Preston was married to someone else, it took a few more years for them to get together. But eventually, by September 1991, the couple had tied the knot, first in France followed by a second wedding in Florida.

Preston, who was 57 at the time of her death, was a well-known actress, starring in such movies as "Jerry Maguire," "Twins," and "For the Love of the Game." Tragically, her life was cut short when she passed away in July 2020 following a two-year "courageous fight" against breast cancer, which she kept hidden away from the public. Her death was announced by John on Instagram, who wrote:

"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. 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."

After announcing he'd be taking time off to be there for his children Ella and Ben as they all mourned Preston's passing, John went offline from his social media accounts for a while. But by later in the year, he had returned, with many of his posts honoring his late wife. One such example was in August when John shared a video of him dancing with his daughter in honor of Preston. 

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Before John knew Preston, he dated another woman who ended up dying from breast cancer. John met Diana Hyland when they both were cast in "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." Hyland was 18 years older than Travolta and played his mother in the TV movie. 

The couple began dating in 1976. Hyland had a double mastectomy in 1975 but had no idea how ill she was until weeks before she passed. John told People in 1977, "(She) didn't know she was going to die for sure until two weeks before. And when I first knew her, there was a possibility it would never happen."

Even though his relationship with Hyland only lasted a year due to her passing, John has no regrets about their time together and keeps her memory alive. "I gave her great joy the last months of her life," he said. "I always feel she is with me — I mean, her intentions are. Diana always wanted the world for me in every possible way."

In 1977, when he was still in mourning, John said that he had "never been more in love with anyone in my life." This made being there for Hyland as she took her last breaths difficult, but Travolta stayed right by her side.

Looking back on their relationship after Hyland's death, John reminisced over their time together. "I thought I was in love before, but I wasn't," he said at the time. "From the moment I met her I was attracted. We were like two maniacs talking all the time on the set of Bubble. After a month it became romantic."

The actor added, "I had more fun with Diana than I ever had in my life."

Are you a fan of John Travolta's work? What do you think about him losing two loved ones to breast cancer? Let us know and feel free to send this along to your friends and family.