The holidays are a bit more somber this year for John Travolta after the loss of his wife of 28 years, Kelly Preston. She passed away in July after a two-year battle from breast cancer. On Thanksgiving, John posted an emotional message to his fans for getting him through a tough year.
“I want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in such an incredible way this year,” he said, looking directly into the camera. “Happy Thanksgiving and always love.”
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When Kelly passed away in July, John spoke lovingly of his “beautiful wife” and the “courageous fight” she fought “with the love and support of so many.” He shared that he wanted to take some time away from the public eye “to be there for my children who have lost their mother,” but he also took the time to apologize for his understandable social media absence. It’s no wonder fans adore John, he’s just so relatable and humble.
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The actor has given everyone glimpses of his family as they ease into their new normal without Kelly. He’s been a pillar of strength for the children he shared with his late wife, daughter Ella Bleu, 20, and son Benjamin, 10. Their eldest son, Jett, died in January 2009 at the age of 16.
In August, John and Ella worked through their grief by honoring Kelly’s legacy by sharing a father-daughter dance. John posted a short video of that sweet moment on Instagram.
“My daughter @ella.travolta and I dancing in memory of momma,” John captioned the post. “One of Kelly’s favorite things, dancing with me.”
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He also honored Kelly on what would have been her 58th birthday by sharing their wedding photo alongside his parents’ wedding photo. The pain echoed in his caption as he addressed his late wife, “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.”
As a widow, the level of mourning he’s going through is palpable, but John’s courageous act of sharing his sadness is helping everyone understand the process of grieving. His fans continue to support him with words of encouragement and it’s clear he’s grateful for their ongoing love.
Before you go, click here to pay tribute to all of the celebrities we’ve lost in 2020.
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