John Travolta Survived Teen Son’s Death with Church’s Help — 2nd Son’s Birth Uplifted His Spirit a Year Later

John Travolta and his wife raised their first son for 16 years before he passed away, but the loss was made easier to bear thanks to the support of their church. A year later, they welcomed another child, and it breathed life into their family once more until another tragedy struck. 

John Travolta is now a single father of two kids he used to share with his wife, Kelly Preston. The family was a happy one built on the couple’s love and trust for one another.

When they first met, the connection was instant, but it took a couple of years to realize they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. The ceremony was elaborate, and it all went down in September 1991 in New York City.

It was a beautiful beginning, and the vows they took were honored in their family, allowing them to create some fantastic memories with themselves and the kids they went on to have. Their first child was a boy named Jett, and he was followed by his sister Ella. 

Jett was born in 1992, and he received a lot of love from his parents, who were both enjoying relatively lower exposure, but that was nothing compared to the affection they showered on him after he was diagnosed with two disorders at the age of two.

Despite that, Travolta was a perfect dad to the boy and was fond of spending time with the boy, getting up to goofy things like dancing whenever they watched Baby Bop and Barney do their thing on TV. The same bond also existed between Travolta, his wife, and their daughter Ella.

She was born in April 2000 and was a sweet addition to the small family. By that time, Travolta had grown more famous and had to work more than usual; however, Preston devoted all her time to her child, so she was the first person to see her take her first step.

Despite their busy lives, Travolta made enough time for their kids and would usually take them on vacation to Preston’s place of birth when they needed time to focus on creating memories with their kids. 

THE DEMISE THAT SHOOK THEIR FAMILY 

Actor John Travolta is seen leaving the ‘Relais Plaza’ restaurant with his son Jett Travolta on November 03, 2008 in Paris, France | Source: Getty Images

Travolta and Preston first found out that their son, Jett, had Kawasaki syndrome (an illness that causes inflamed blood vessels) after falling very ill at two. They later claimed that he was successfully treated, but the boy still suffered from seizures all his life.

As time passed, rumors that Jett also had autism started to spread, but Travolta denied it. In the years before his demise, many people lashed out at them for keeping his condition a secret. Still, the family ultimately ignored the heat they were getting until one day; he died during a family vacation. 

Jett Travolta is seen with his father, actor John Travolta in this picture. | Source: Getty Images

The vacation was at the Grand Bahama. The family arrived there on December 30 with plans to celebrate New Year at their vacation unit, located at the Old Bahama Bay hotel report. The goal was to stay until January 9, but that was ruined when Jett hit his head in the bathroom after having a seizure. 

A caretaker discovered Jett’s lifeless body, and he was pronounced dead after being rushed to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport. An autopsy was arranged afterward, but no foul play was found, and according to his death certificate, the seizure had been the cause of death.

John Travolta with late son Jett, wife Kelly Preson, and daughter Ella in undated family portrait | Source: Getty Images

THEY TOOK THE DEATH HARD

After Jett passed away, the Travoltas had difficulty moving past it. In a statement after the tragedy, the actor stated that he and his wife were devastated because their time with Jett had been very short.

Their family lawyer, Micahel Ossi, also weighed in on how distraught the pair were about what had happened, stating that the couple was having the “worst day” in their life when the time came to bury him. 

Kelly Preston and John Travolta at the “Rendezvous With John Travolta – Gotti” Photocall at the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2018, in Cannes, France | Source: Getty Images

The burial passed but moving past the tragedy was very difficult; They had no idea how they would go on without him, and Travolta once said that it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. He even confessed that he had no idea if he would ever make it; however, their church helped them. 

The talented actor has credited their church with helping him, and his wife get past the tragic ordeal. According to what he told US Weekly, the church never left their side for two good years and saw the scarred Travolta family lean heavily on them as they struggled to deal with Jett’s absence.

J.Travolta and Kelly Preston at Deaville film festival in Deauville, France on September 08, 1991. | Photo : Getty Images

A CHILD FOR A CHILD 

It was challenging to deal with their child’s demise, but a year after the tragedy, Travolta and his wife welcomed their second child and named him Benjamin. The pair had been thinking of having another child before Jett’s death, and the new birth positively revived them.

The boy was born in November 2010 in a Florida hospital weighing eight pounds and three ounces. Reports revealed that the family had been preparing anxiously for the delivery day, with Preston revealing in September that she cleaned out their house with help from Ella. The latter was enthusiastic about becoming an older sister.

They showed him off several weeks later, and Travolta revealed how great it was to have a new member of the family to dote on. In the actor’s words:

“He’s given the house a renewed spirit and purpose.” 

Joy returned to the Travolta family after Benjamin’s birth; however, it was short-lived because, on July 12, 2020, Preston lost her life to breast cancer which she had been battling for two years.

It was a tragic loss, but Travolta refused to let it stop him from carrying out his duties as a father. The actor has remained single ever since Preston passed on but has been able to raise his kids in her absence successfully. 

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