John Travolta celebrates first Christmas without wife Kelly Preston, wishes fans in clip featuring his children
John Travoltra's wife Kelly Preston died on July 12 after a gruelling battle with breast cancer. This Christmas was the actor's first without Preston by his side. On the festive holiday, Travolta shared a video featuring his daughter Ella Bleu and Benjamin at their home, as he wished his fans a Merry Christmas. Ella, dressed in black pyjamas, stood in front of a decorated Christmas tree, while holding her phone. There were several wrapped packages behind her. Benjamin was shirtless, and he was chilling in a chair, enjoying a cookie. 'Merry Christmas from the Travolta family!' Travolta captioned the sweet post. Travolta's son Jett had died in 2009, after he suffered a seizure and hit his head in the bathroom.
Kelly's death was a shock to her fans as she had kept her struggles with the illness a secret. A family representative had told People magazine, "On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer. Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends,' the family rep said. '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 had been married for 29 years before her death in July. "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." he had written on Instagram.
John also shared a message on Thanksgiving Day, and also showed off his shaved head and sported a black turtleneck while addressing his followers on social media. "I just wanted to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in such an incredible way this year,' he said. 'Happy Thanksgiving and always love." On her birthday, he shared a photo from their wedding day, alongside an image of his mother and father. He captioned it, "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."
It has been a tragic year for Travolta, as he lost his nephew Sam Travolta Jr in October as well. The cause of death is not known, but the 52-year-old was the son of John's brother, Sam Travolta, who is also an actor.
Sam Travolta Jr had earlier opened up to being close to his uncle, and revealed that the 'Grease' star, who is the youngest of six, was helping him with his finances. Speaking to the National Enquirer in 2015, the writer said: "I’m a struggling screenwriter living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, so John’s money helps."
Travolta's last film was 2019's 'The Fanatic'.