Kelly Preston died on Sunday, July 12, at the age of 57 after battling breast cancer.
“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,” her husband, John Travolta, wrote in an Instagram post. “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. Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered.
“I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while,” he concluded. “But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal. All my love, JT.”
The Gotti actress is survived by her husband of 28 years and their two children, daughter Ella, 20, and son Benjamin, 9. The couple’s eldest child, Jett, died in 2009 at the age of 16.
The Pulp Fiction actor, 66, paid tribute to his wife in a Mother’s Day post in May, sharing a photo of the Hawaii-born actress and their kids on Instagram.
“Today, and every day, we celebrate you @therealkellypreston for being the best mother to our kids!” he wrote. “Happy Mother’s Day! And Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms today!”
Ella also shared her love for Preston that day, posting a throwback photo of the pair on the beach.
“Happy Mother’s Day to this incredible woman. Beautiful inside and out, hard working and the most amazing mother and wife. I love you so much!!! wishing a happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there,” she captioned the happy snap.
Preston is best known for her roles in Space Camp, Twins, Jerry Maguire and For the Love of the Game. She played John’s girlfriend in the 2000 film Battlefield Earth and his wife in 2018’s Gotti. Before marrying the Grease star, Preston dated George Clooney and was briefly engaged to Charlie Sheen in 1990.
Her death comes 43 years after John’s girlfriend Diana Hyland died in his arms at the age of 41 from breast cancer. She began dating the Saturday Night Fever actor, who was 18 years her junior, after meeting him in 1976 when she played his mother in the television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.
People was first to report the news.
