Kelly Preston, the actress who starred in films like "Jerry Maguire," and most recently opposite husband John Travolta in "Gotti", died aged 57. Travolta announced the news of his wife's passing following a two-year battle with breast cancer in an Instragram post on Sunday.
"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," he wrote. "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," he wrote, before noting that he will be grieving his wife's death with their children and expressed his apologies in advance for being out of contact for some time. "But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal," he added.
Wanted to Keep Breast Cancer Diagnosis Private
The news of her breast cancer battle came as a surprise to many. Her rep acknowledged in a statementthat she had chosen to keep her diagnosis private.
"Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends," the rep added. "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time."
Preston's Acting Career
Preston studied acting at the University of Southern California and started off her career in 1985 with a stint on television, including shows like "For Love and Honor," before landing a role in her first major film, "Mischief."
Over the next few years, Preston notably starred in films such as "Space Camp" (1986), "Twins" (1988), "Jerry Maguire" (1996), "Jack Frost," "For Love of the Game" (1999), "View From the Top" (2003), "The Cat in the Hat" (2003), and "Sky High" (2005).
Her last appearance on the silver screen was in the 2018 film "Gotti," in which she played the Victoria Gotti, the wife of Mafia boss John Gotti, portrayed by Travolta. She has starred opposite Travolta in several other films, including "The Experts" (1989), "Battlefield Earth" (2000), and "Old Dogs" (2009).
According to IMDB.com, her final credit is the upcoming film Off the Rails, a comedy that also features Judi Dench and Franco Nero.
Marriage to Travolta
Preston and Travolta met during the filming of "The Experts" and on New Year's Eve in 1991, the "Grease" actor proposed to her at the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, with a six-carat yellow-and-white diamond ring. They tied the knot on Sept. 5, 1991, when Preston was already two months pregnant. The couple got married for a second time on U.S. soil in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Travolta and Preston shared three children -- daughter Ella, 20, and 9-year-old Benjamin. Their third child, a son named Jett, died from a seizure during a family holiday in the Bahamas in 2009. He was 16 at the time.
Celebrity Reactions
Upon the news of her death, many others who were friends with the actress or had worked with her, or just admired her work, took to social media to pay tribute to the late actress. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
