In just over two years, John Travolta has suffered three tremendous losses.
Hours after it was announced his close friend and collaborator Kirstie Alley had passed away from a short bout with cancer, Travolta took to his social media to acknowledge the profound impact Alley’s loss would leave, saying she was “one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had.”
Nearly four months ago, Travolta’s “Grease” co-star Olivia Newton-John died after a public, arduous battle with cancer.
In 2020, Travolta announced his beloved wife of nearly three decades, Kelly Preston had lost her battle with cancer.
Sadly, Preston was not the first woman in his life he had lost to the horrible disease.
John Travolta has not only lost his beloved wife Kelly to cancer, but also two of his on-screen leading ladies in Kirstie Allen and Olivia Newton-John.
(Gisela Schober/Variety/CHRIS DELMAS)
JOHN TRAVOLTA, JAMIE LEE CURTIS AND OTHER HOLLYWOOD STARS REACT TO THE DEATH OF KIRSTIE ALLEY
Diana Hyland
John Travolta dated Diana Hyland until she passed away in 1977.
(Fotos International)
Before losing three important women in two years, Travolta lost his girlfriend Diana Hyland to breast cancer at the age of 41. Hyland and Travolta began their relationship in 1976 when they starred in “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” but she sadly succumbed to her illness a year later in 1977. Hyland was 18 years his senior.
Kelly Preston
Preston and Travolta married in 1991 after meeting on the set of their 1989 film “The Experts.” The couple quickly started a family, having son Jett in 1992, but were plagued early in their lives with tragedy.
Jett, who was autistic and prone to having seizures, passed away in 2009 after having a seizure in the bathtub that resulted in a head injury.
Preston and Travolta also had children Ella, 22, and Ben, 12 together.
John Travolta was married to Kelly Preston from 1991 until her death in 2020. They had three children together, one son, Jett that predeceased his parents.
(ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP)
Preston passed away at 57 on July 12, 2020. Travolta revealed that his wife had “lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” in an Instagram post, adding, “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”
At the time, Travolta was appreciative of the wave of support he and his family received. He wrote, “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. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”
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Olivia Newton-John
Newton-John, who had been very public at the time with her decades-long fight against breast cancer told Entertainment Tonight, “She was a very a beautiful person, inside and out, and was beautiful to look at…But she had a gentle spirit and I just feel so, so much for John and the children. It’s hard to put into words.”
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John maintained a very close relationship after starring in “Grease” together in 1978,
(Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
Tragically a little over two years later, Newton-John lost her battle with breast cancer on Aug. 8, 2022 at 73.
Travolta posted a tribute to her on Instagram, writing, “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
The two shared a sincere and tight friendship after starring together in the 1978 classic, “Grease.” Throughout the course of her life, Newton-John was outspoken about being diagnosed with breast cancer multiple times, even creating the Olivia Newton-John Foundation in Oct. 2020, which Travolta continues to support.
Kirstie Alley
Alley created an everlasting friendship with Travolta through their 1989 movie together, “Look Who’s Talking,” which inspired two sequels.
After it was announced the Emmy Award-winning actress had died at 71, Travolta wrote of Alley on his Instagram, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”
She died from colon cancer, according to her rep via People.
KIRSTIE ALLEY THROUGH THE YEARS
Alley did not shy away from publicly declaring her love for Travolta, “I did love him; I still love him,” while appearing on “Celebrity Big Brother U.K.”
“If I hadn’t been married, I would’ve gone and married him and I would’ve been in an airplane because he has his own plane,” she said of her friend.
During filming of “Look Who’s Talking,” Alley was married to Parker Stevenson.
Despite Alley getting divorced and Travolta marrying Preston, the two were able to maintain a solid relationship.
Kirstie Alley, John Travolta and Kelly Preston pose for a photo together in 2007.
(Kevin Winter)
