Looking Back On John Travolta & Kelly Preston's 28-Year Love Story

Jul 12, 2021 by apost team

Actress Kelly Preston, known for her roles in the films "Twins" (1988) and "Jerry Maguire" (1996), died in July 2020 in Florida at the age of 57 after a long battle with breast cancer. Preston was survived by her children Ella, 24, and Benjamin, 10, along with her husband, the award-winning actor John Travolta, 70.

According to CNN, the two stars met on the set of the 1988 film "The Experts," where they had danced together. At the time, Preston was still married to her first husband, Kevin Gage, but that didn’t stop her from falling in love with Travolta as she explained in a 2018 interview. As she describes it, it was “kinda” love at first sight, especially given that she wasn’t happy with her first husband. 

Surprisingly, however, it took Preston and Travolta a couple of years before they would properly reunite. After Preston divorced Gage, she tried dating in Hollywood, pairing up with George Clooney followed by a brief romance with Charlie Sheen, as People reports. But eventually, Preston found her way back to Travolta and the two began dating in 1990. A year later, the two would marry in Paris in a spontaneous romantic getaway, according to CNN.

Ever since then, Preston and Travolta remained incredibly close, as they went on to become one of Hollywood's favorite couples. Married for 28 years, the pair were inseparable, and even since Preston's death last year, Travolta has made an incredible effort to honor his late wife's legacy. Let's take a look at their love story.  

After marrying in 1991, John Travolta and Kelly Preston would welcome their first child, Jett, who was tragically diagnosed with Kawasaki Syndrome at 2-years-old, according to People. Jett’s birth in the early ‘90s was followed by daughter Ella Bleu in 2000, and around a decade later, that was followed by the birth of another boy, Benjamin, in 2010. Sadly, however, tragedy struck the Travolta family when 16-year-old Jett passed away unexpectedly in 2009 after suffering from a seizure.

But the family had positive news when they announced the birth of Benjamin in 2010. Speaking with People magazine at the time, Travolta said that their new son had "given the house a renewed spirit and purpose." He also told Good Morning America in a 2016 interview: 

"We certainly have bonded together. And certainly, having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to rebond after tremendous loss."

Despite the family’s hardships, Travolta and Preston would often focus on the family’s positives along with their strong relationship with each other.

"I think that we were just right together, that we picked the right people and keeping it honest and communicating and checking in with each other,” Preston said of the relationship in 2018. "A relationship doesn't just happen," she continued. "You have to work at it. You've got to keep it fun and that's what we do." 

Even on their last anniversary together on Sep. 5, 2019, Preston and Travolta shared their neverending love for each other via social media. Alongside a photo of the two of them hugging while at dinner, Travolta wrote, "Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife ❤️ @therealkellypreston."   

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Meanwhile, Preston shared a photo from the same evening with a much longer caption. She wrote:

"To my dearest Johnny, the most wonderful man I know. You have given me hope when I have felt lost, loved me patiently and unconditionally… made me laugh harder than any other human being possible… shared the most beautiful highs and at times lows."

She continued:

"You're a dream Daddio and make life so much fun!! I trust my love with you implicitly… with you I know I will always be okay no matter what happens… I love you forever and completely. Happy 28th Anniversary @johntravolta 💕❤️."

Sadly, it would be their last anniversary spent together. The following year on July 12, after almost three decades together, Travolta had to say goodbye to his wife who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. In an emotional 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.”

He thanked the doctors and nurses that looked after her and added, “Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered." He finished the post by explaining that he'd be taking time for himself and his family to heal, writing:

“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.” 

After a hiatus from social media, Travolta began to post once again late last year, and since then he hasn't stopped honoring Preston's legacy.      

What do you think of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's nearly three-decade-long marriage? Did you know they had been through so much together? Let us know and pass this story on to friends and family members to honor the couple's love.