The two got married in Paris the first time, and their wedding was officiated by a Scientological minister.
There are few greater Hollywood love stories than that of John Travolta and Kelly Preston. The two of them have gone through so much, only to come out stronger. But their love story came to a tragic end after Preston died in 2020 from cancer after a years-long battle.
For almost three decades, Preston and Travolta were each other's pillars of strength and inspiration. They set an example for many about the partnership and friendship of a married couple. The two of them were brought together by destiny. Their paths crossed years before they walked down the aisle. In fact, Travolta was love-struck after seeing a beautiful Preston during a screen test for the 1989 comedy, The Experts.
There was such a strong connection that when they spotted each other there was an "immediate chemistry," he told US Weekly. Travolta was stunned and could not resist starting a conversation with Preston.
"I remember she was going down the steps. And I was on top, and I said, 'May I ask you a question?' and she said, 'yes,' and I said, 'What's it like to be married? Is it a good thing?'" he recalled as their first-ever conversation. "She said, 'I love it,' and I thought, 'Wow, wouldn't it be great to be married to someone who loves being married?'"
But, Preston was not interested in marrying Travolta at the time. When the Grease star laid his eyes on Preston, she was married to actor Kevin Gage. Preston was also involved in two other relationships before kicking off a romance with Travolta.
But once they were together, their love was intense and it was only a matter of time before they got engaged and married.
Eventually, on New Year's Eve in 1991, Travolta asked Preston to marry him at the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, with a six-karat yellow and white diamond ring. Soon after, they began planning their wedding.
On September 5, 1991—when Preston was pregnant with their first child—the two got married at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. However, it was only later that they found out that the marriage was illegal, since a Scientological minister joined them, per The Things.
Apparently, there was also another rule they had not considered while getting married in Paris. A law requires the couple to live there for about four to five years to be wed legally, which they didn't, adds WUSA9.
Eventually, when the two lovebirds made it back home to the U.S., they had their second and legal marriage in Daytona Beach, Florida, according to PEOPLE. A few months after their wedding, the couple became parents to Jett, who was born with autism and Kawasaki disease, which caused inflammation of the arteries.
They loved and cherished him nonetheless, and in 2000, they welcomed their daughter Ella Bleu. But in 2009, the family experienced tragedy when they lost their firstborn. At the time, they were trying for another child, and after the loss of Jett, who was 16, they welcomed another son, Benjamin, on November 23, 2010.
When Ben was just about 10 years, Preston succumbed to cancer.
Now, it's been two years since her death, but the family makes it a point to honor her every chance they get. Preston may no longer be amid the family physically, but they will always love and cherish her, and that is proof enough that Travolta and Preston were simply meant to be.
References:
https://www.thethings.com/17-secrets-the-travolta-family-tried-to-cover-up/
https://people.com/movies/john-travolta-kelly-preston-marriage-in-photos/?slide=7270680#7270680
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Pascal Le Segretain
