Travolta told his son to live his life to the fullest, because no one knows when it's their last day alive.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on January 7, 2022. It has since been updated.
Losing a parent is never easy, especially for a child. When John Travolta lost his wife Kelly Preston to cancer in 2020, he knew their youngest son, Benjamin, had a lot on his mind.
During an appearance on an episode of Kevin Hart's Peacock talk show series Hart to Heart, the 67-year-old actor opened up about how his 11-year-old son was worried he was going to lose his father, too, given how his mother was no more.
According to PEOPLE, the father and son had a heart-wrenching conversation about death during a walk through their neighborhood late one night, where Ben explained to his father that he was afraid to lose him too. "He said to me once, 'Because mom passed away, I'm afraid you're going to,'" Travolta said.
"I said, 'Well, it's a very different thing.' And I went through the differences about my longevity and her limited life," the Grease star continued. "I said, 'But you know, Ben … you always love the truth and I'm going to tell you the truth about life. Nobody knows when they're gonna go or when they're going to stay.' "
He then spoke to his little on about the brother he never got to meet and about his mom, who showered him with all the love she possibly could fit in 10 years. "Your brother [Jett] left at 16. Too young. Your mother left at 57. That was too young. But who's to say? I could die tomorrow. You could. Anybody can," he added. "So let's look at it like it's part of life. You don't know exactly. You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can."
Travolta had been through grief before. He lost his son Jett when he was just a young boy, but at that time, he had Preston beside him for comfort. Jett died back in 2009 when he suffered a seizure after he hit his head on a bathtub.
Afte Jett's death, Travolta, Preston, and their daughter Ella, now 22, tried to cope with the loss. But, a year later, they welcomed Ben into their lives. Ben was born in November 2010 after the couple tried to conceive for three years. "He's given the house a renewed spirit and purpose," Travolta told PEOPLE in 2011.
Sometimes, when one door closes, and other one does open, even if it feels like the door that closed is the end of the world. Travolta may no longer have the two most important people in his life beside him now, but he's still a great father to his three children and an even better husband to Preston, and nothing can change that, not even death.
References:
https://people.com/parents/john-travolta-after-kelly-preston-died-talk-with-son-ben/
https://people.com/parents/meet-john-travolta-kelly-prestons-son-benjamin/
Cover Image Source: Instagram | John Travolta
