From Olivia Newton-John to Kelly Preston: How John Travolta lost 3 important women to cancer
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA: While the world mourns the death of Olivia Newton-John, her best friend and co-star John Travolta is feeling the loss as well. The four-time Grammy winner died aged 73 on Monday, August 8, 2022, as explained by her husband John Easterling in a statement. She passed away peacefully but the 'Grease' actress had to battle breast cancer for as long as 30 years.
Several celebrities and co-stars came along to pay tribute to the icon who is an inspiration to many. However, one man who could truly feel the pain is John Travolta, her co-star in 'Grease' and 'Two of a Kind'. Remembering his friend in a heartfelt Instagram post, the 68-year-old actor wrote, "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!" Olivia's long battle with breast cancer was something that everyone knew about and the acclaimed singer was vocal about it too. However, this is not the first time that the 'Pulp Fiction' actor lost someone beloved due to cancer.
READ MORE
John Travolta lost 3 people to breast cancer
Travolta's first loss came in 1977 when Diana Hyland died due to breast cancer. Hyland, an Emmy-winning actress, was 41 when she died. With over 71 credits, she gained popularity for her role in 'The Boy in the Plastic Bubble' alongside Travolta. She met the up-and-coming actor during the movie. It didn't take long for the pair to hit it off and start dating. However, the untimely death of Hyland came when Travolta was playing a disco drug kingpin in 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977). She lost her life mid-production and Travolta flew back to be with her. According to reports, she died in his arms. After this loss, Travolta decided to move on with his life and settle. "I gave her great joy the last months of her life," he told People in June 1977, adding, "I always feel she is with me — I mean, her intentions are. Diana always wanted the world for me in every possible way."
Travolta then met Kelly Preston and decided that she was the one. With over 60 television and film credits, including 'Mischief', 'Twins', 'Jerry Maguire', and 'For Love of the Game', Preston was enjoying her own career which was inclining steadily. The duo got married in 1991 and stayed together until Preston's untimely death. They shared three children -- Jett Travolta, Benjamin Travolta, and Ella Bleu Travolta. Their son, Jett, died at age 16 while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas due to a seizure. If this wasn't enough, the actor was dealt with another tragedy. Preston died on June 12, 2020, after a two-year-long battle with breast cancer.
Remembering his wife and the mother of his 2 children, he took to this Instagram and 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 Center, all the medical centers 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."