Remembering Kelly Preston, 5 Years After Her Death: Look Back at the "Jerry Maguire" Star's Life and Career in Photos
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Hollywood lost one of its brightest stars whenKelly Prestondied at age 57. On July 12, 2020, the actress — known for her roles in many beloved films and TV shows throughout the '80s and '90s likeFor Love and Honor,Twins,Jerry MaguireandAddicted to Love— died following a private two-year diagnosis with breast cancer. Though she enjoyed a successful career on-screen, Preston alsocherished a rich personal lifewith her husband of nearly 30 years, Oscar-nominated actorJohn Travolta, with whom sheshared three children. "I experience bliss a lot, and it's always when I'm with my kids and husband and we're all together alone," Preston told PEOPLE in 2018. "As a family, it doesn't get better than that." As we mark the fifth anniversary of her death, here's a look back at Preston's life through photos. According to her official website, Preston was born in Honolulu on Oct. 13, 1962. At age 5, her family moved to Iraq and later to Australia. However, she returned to Hawaii to graduate from Punahou High School. Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection Per the Television Academy, Preston was discovered by an agent at age 16 in Australia and had her first on-screen roles in 1983 with films like10 to Midnight,Metalstrom: The Destruction of Jared-SynandChristine. She later shifted gears to teen rom-coms, starring in 1985'sMischiefandSecret Admirer(pictured). Preston eventually joined the cast of 1986'sSpaceCamp,where she met her first husband, Kevin Gage. The pair married in 1985, the same year they met on set, but they divorced in 1987. Throughout the rest of the decade, Preston starred in the films52 Pick-Up(1986),A Tiger's Tale(1987),Twins(1988) andThe Experts(1989). She first met her costar and future husband, Travolta, on the set ofThe Experts. Following her 1987 divorce from Gage, Preston had a brief relationship with actorGeorge Clooney, which lasted until 1989. Preston met Travolta at a screen test for their 1989 comedy,The Experts, while Preston was still married to Gage. On New Year's Eve 1991, Travoltagot down on one kneeinside the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, and proposed with a six-carat yellow-and-white diamond ring. Prestonwas two months pregnantwith the couple's son Jett when they got married on Sept. 5, 1991. They said their "I dos" in an unannounced ceremony at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. They later got married for a second time on U.S. soil in Daytona Beach, Fla. Preston and Travolta welcomed Jett in 1992. Preston gained even more prominence on the big screen, starring inJerry Maguire(1996) withTom Cruise,Holy Man(1998) withEddie MurphyandJeff GoldblumandFor the Love of the Game(1999). Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Throughout the '80s and '90s, Preston was a frequent presence on red carpets — even at premieres for films she wasn't in. Here, she's seen wearing an ivory cream pantsuit at theInterview with a Vampirepremierein 1994. Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Though she was a busy star, Preston made time for her husband and her children. While filming the 1997 filmAddicted to Love, she enjoyed a visit from Travolta and their son, Jett. Courtesy Kelly Preston On April 3, 2000, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter namedElla Bleu. The only daughter of Travolta and Preston decided to follow in her parents' footsteps to become an actress, and starred in the 2019 filmThe Poison Rosealongside her famous father andMorgan Freeman. Proud mom Preston celebrated her daughter's rise as an actresson Instagram, writing, "Still in absolute awe of my stunning daughter @ella.travolta I just re-watched all of her interviews this past week doing press for #thepoisonrose and she has jumped into 'the family business' as an absolute natural." "I am beyond proud of her and all of her accomplishments, but most of all I am proud and honored to have her as my daughter," Preston added. "I love you and congratulations." In 2009, the couple's son, Jett,died while on vacation in the Bahamaswith the family. He suffered a seizure and hit his head in a bathtub. He was 16. Preston later appeared on a 2012 episode ofThe Doctors, revealing, "[Jett] was autistic. He had seizures, and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki Syndrome." Preston and Travolta added to their family once more in 2010 with the arrival of son Benjamin. "He's given the house a renewed spiritand purpose," the actor told PEOPLE in 2011. During an interview withGood Morning Americain 2016, Travolta said, "Certainly, having little Benhas been a beautiful kind of gluefor us to rebond after tremendous loss." In herfinal Instagram photo, Preston wished Travolta a Happy Father's Day, with Ella and Benjamin by her side, plus a throwback shot of Jett. "Happy Father's Day to the best one I know, we love you 😘💕," she wrote. Three weeks later, Preston died on July 12, 2020, after living with breast cancer for two years. She was 57. Preston's final role was in 2021'sOff the Rails, a British dramedy costarring Jenny Seagrove and Sally Phillips. During an episode of the U.K. talk showLoose Womenin 2021, Phillips recalled Preston kept her breast-cancer diagnosis private throughout filming. "She was so bloomin' beautifuland so vibrant, and you would never have known. She was so professional," Phillips said. When Travolta shared the movie traileron Instagram, he paid tribute to his wife with heartfelt words: "Off the Railsis Kelly's last film —she was very proud of itand of all of the wonderful talent that she got to work with in it." Read the original article onPeople
Remembering Kelly Preston, 5 Years After Her Death: Look Back at the "Jerry Maguire" Star's Life and Career in Photos Loic Ven...
