John Travolta has paid tribute to his “adored” wife Kelly Preston after she died of breast cancer aged 57.
In a moving Instagram post, Travolta, 66, who lost his 16-year-old son Jett a decade ago, said it was “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,” he wrote.
A representative for the family told People magazine Preston died on July 12 after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
“On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer,” a family representative told People.
“Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends,” the statement read.
“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.”
Travolta and Preston at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Photo: Getty
Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris in 1991 while the couple were expecting their first son Jett.
Travolta and Preston had two more children together, daughter Ella, 20, and Benjamin, nine.
Jett died in January 2009 aged 16 after a seizure at the family’s holiday home in the Bahamas.
The death touched off a court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $US25 million ($36 million) from the actors otherwise they would release sensitive information about their son’s death.
Travolta testified during a criminal trial that ended in a mistrial and was prepared to testify a second time, but decided to stop pursuing the case.
He cited the severe strain the case and his son’s death had caused the family.
Preston studied acting at the University of Southern California and launched her career in 1985 with her first major movie role in Mischief after several minor roles in television shows, including For Love and Honor.
Preston at times appeared in films with her husband.
The couple returned to acting after the court case, with Preston’s first role back in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Last Song, which starred Miley Cyrus and her future husband, Liam Hemsworth.
They last starred together in the 2018 film Gotti, with Travolta playing John Gotti and Preston taking the role of the crime boss’s wife Victoria.
