Kelly Preston passed away on July 12 after battling breast cancer for two years.
John Travolta is a doting husband, and even in death, he never fails to honor his beloved wife. He marked his late wife's birthday on October 13, with a very sweet post on Instagram. He shared a lovely picture of her smiling and wrote, "Happy Birthday Kelly. We miss and love you very much."
The actress, who died of cancer in 2020, would have been 59 years old. Preston, Travolta's wife of 28 years, passed away on July 12 after battling breast cancer for two years.
"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 shared, on Instagram.
Though details of her treatment were kept private, it is said that Travolta faced a lot of trouble for choosing chemotherapy for his wife's treatment as the Church of Scientology opposed it. It reached a point where it was a "make-or-break" situation for the Grease actor after being a devotee for 45 years. Looking at Travolta's courageous act of defiance, many former Scientology members and friends came forward in support of the actor suggesting he's "breaking away from the Church."
Jeffrey Augustine, a former member of the Church who's criticized it before, told the publication that the founder L Ron Hubbard was "really opposed to chemotherapy and radiation." Talking about the actor's statement he said, "The statement was unequivocal in the support of medical staff... It shows they've backed away from Scientology. It'll hurt to lose your wife of 30 years... there will be grief, it's human."
Pointing out the absence of gratitude towards the Church, Augustine continued, "There's no acknowledgment in that statement of Scientology, David Miscavige, or auditing, there's nothing - that's critical, he took care of it in his own hands, this is a personal matter, like 'I don't need the Church.'"
This is, unfortunately, not the first time Travolta has experienced grief, but the first time around, he had his wife's support. The couple lost their 16-year-old son, Jett, after he suffered a seizure during a family vacation in the Bahamas. Jett, who was born with autism, had a history of regular seizures so the family was prepared. Yet this time, they could not save him.
With time, the family learned to accept the grief, but they never forgot their son for even a second. Now, the devoted husband and father make sure to honor Preston and Jett whenever he can, while also showering Ella, 21, and Benjamin, 10, with all the love in the world.
References:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-EzcLA9ir/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Pascal Le Segretain
