John Travolta's heartbreaking tribute to late wife Kelly Preston

Sarah Carty
·Lifestyle Editor
Updated ·2-min read

Three months after the death of Kelly Preston, her husband, John Travolta, has shared a heartbreaking message on what would have been her 58th birthday.

In July, People confirmed Kelly had passed away with a statement from a family representative, which read: "On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer."

Kelly Preston and John Travolta attend the New York premiere of Gotti starring John Travolta, in theaters June 15, 2018 on June 14, 2018.
John Travolta has paid tribute to his late wife, Kelly Preston. Photo: Getty Images

To celebrate what would have been her birthday, John Travolta shared a photo of his parents, Salvatore and Helen Travolta, at their wedding alongside one of him and Kelly at their 1991 ceremony.

"Happy Birthday hon! I found this photo of my mom and dad‘s wedding. It was nice to see ours alongside theirs. All my love, John,” the 66-year-old captioned the snap.

John Travolta wedding photo
John shared this photo of his parents on their wedding and his wedding photo with Kelly. Photo: Instagram/John Travolta

Kelly and John were married for 29 years and were the proud parents to Ella, 20, and Benjamin, nine. The couple's son Jett passed away at the age of 16 in 2009.

Kelly’s final Instagram post was a family selfie in celebration of Father's Day in June.

“Happy Father’s Day to the best one I know, we love you,” she wrote, sharing a photo of son Ben and daughter Ella, as well as a black-and-white portrait of John and Jett.

Kelly Preston
Kelly passed away in July after a two year battle with cancer. Photo: Instagram/John Travolta

Kelly’s career took off in 1985 after her appearance in Mischief, having previously had several minor roles in television shows, including For Love and Honor.

She also starred in films such as SpaceCamp (1986), Twins (1988), Jerry Maguire (1996) and For Love of the Game (1999).

Her final film role came in the 2018 film Gotti, in which she starred alongside her husband.

Tributes flowed in for the star when she passed away, including one from Olivia Newton John.

"My heart breaks for John, Ella and Ben. No words can express my sorrow for her family. Kelly’s light shines on in her beautiful children,” she said,

With extra reporting by Marni Dixit

Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter to get all the latest news and hacks. Or if you have a story tip, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.

Latest stories