Kelly Preston, actress and wife of John Travolta, dies at 57
Kelly Preston, the actress known for films like “Jerry Maguire” and the wife of John Travolta, died Sunday following a two-year battle with breast cancer, her husband announced. Preston was 57. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,” Travolta wrote early Monday in an Instagram post, thanking staff at a Houston-based medical center.
“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,” the actor continued. “Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered.”
Preston and Travolta married in 1991 and had three kids.
“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,” Travolta, 66, wrote. “But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”
Preston appeared in dozens of films over the course of a lengthy acting career that began in the early 1980s.
She played Marnie Mason in the 1988 comedy “Twins” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, before portraying Avery Bishop in the 1996 classic “Jerry Macguire,” in which she starred alongside Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Renee Zellweger.
In 1999, Preston starred with Kevin Costner in the sports drama “For the Love of the Game.” She and Travolta then did “Battlefield Earth” together in 2000.
Other notable films for Preston include 2003’s “What a Girl Wants” and the 2009 comedy “Old Dogs,” which also starred her husband.
Her death was mourned by others within the entertainment industry, including Maria Shriver, the wife of Schwarzenegger.
“Shocked by this sad news,” Shriver tweeted. “Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife. My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief. Join me in sending them love and strength.”