John Travolta mourns as wife dies at 57
Tributes after Kelly Preston loses breast cancer battle
ACTRESS Kelly Preston, the wife of John Travolta, has died aged 57.
Preston, who starred in films such as Mischief, Twins and Jerry Maguire, lost her two-year battle with breast cancer, Travolta said in an Instagram post.
He 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 Centre, all the medical centres 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. All my love, JT.”
The couple had been married for nearly 30 years and have a daughter Ella and son Benjamin. It is reported they met while filming comedy The Experts in the late Eighties and they got married in Paris a few years later in 1991.
Their son Jett died aged just 16 after suffering a seizure during a family holiday in the Bahamas in 2009.
Preston’s first major film role was in 1985’s comedy Mischief. She later went on to star alongside her actor husband in Battlefield Earth and 2018’s Gotti.
Ella paid tribute to her mother saying she had never “met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you”. She wrote on Instagram: “Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy. Thank you for being there for me no matter what.
“You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama.”
A family representative told American publication People that Preston had died on the morning of July 12.
They said: “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.”
In September 2019 Preston described Travolta as “the most wonderful man I know” in an Instagram post celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary.