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John Travolta reflects on special adoption in family that positively impacted his children

The Grease star lives in Florida with his children


John Travolta reflects on special adoption in family that positively impacted his children© Instagram
Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
June 22, 2024
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John Travolta is a devoted family man who has put his children Ella, 24, and Benjamin, 13, over the past testing years. 

The Grease star and his kids have suffered a lot of heartache, following the deaths of his wife Kelly Preston in 2020 and son Jett in 2009. 

Through the difficult time, John has ensured that Ella and Benjamin have been surrounded by love, and a certain adoption in their family has given it to them plentiful. 

On Saturday, the Hollywood star took to Instagram to pay tribute to their beloved rescue dog Peanut, as he reflected on how much happiness she had brought into their lives. 

John Travolta paid tribute to the family's adopted dog Peanut
John Travolta paid tribute to the family's adopted dog Peanut

Alongside a picture of him holding Peanut as a puppy on Oscar night, he wrote: "The day we adopted Peanut on Oscar night! She’s brought the biggest joy to our family." 

The family got Peanut in March 2022, all thanks to the Academy Awards! Jamie Lee Curtis had brought Peanut - who was called Mac N Cheese at the time - out on stage to honor the late actress Betty White, who was a huge advocate for animal welfare. 

John Travolta with puppy Peanut at the Oscars in 2022
John Travolta with puppy Peanut at the Oscars in 2022

John quickly fell in love with the puppy and held her for half an hour, before following up with the animal shelter the following day to adopt her for his son Ben. 

He later shared the happy news with fans on Instagram, posting a picture of himself, Peanut, and Ben. He wrote: "Ben adopted this dog from last [night's] Oscar tribute to Betty White. Thank you @curtisleejamie & @pawworks." 

John's young son is the proud owner of Peanut
John's young son is the proud owner of Peanut

Peanut is a much-adored member of the Travolta household and features in many of John's family photos on Instagram. 

John recently opened up about his family life on Kevin Hart's talk show, Hart to Heart. During the chat, he spoke about the conversations he's been having with his young son about Kelly's passing, and how Ben told him that he was afraid he was going to lose him too.

john travolta home© Instagram
John Travolta at home with Peanut

 John said: "I said, 'Well, it's a very different thing.' And I went through the differences about my longevity and her limited life." 

The reality hit when he added: "I said, 'But you know, Ben … you always love the truth and I'm going to tell you the truth about life. Nobody knows when they're gonna go or when they're going to stay.'" "Your brother left at 16. Too young. Your mother left at 57. That was too young. But who's to say? I could die tomorrow. You could. Anybody can," the Grease star continued. 

john travolta with son ben and adopted dog peanut
Peanut is so loved!

"So let's look at it like it's part of life. You don't know exactly. You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can." 

Further in the episode, he sweetly spoke about feeling "eternally 21" during his conversations with Ben, able to effortlessly remember things from years and decades ago. When asked about it, John told Ben: "I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Does 30 years ago seem like a long time?' I said, 'Yeah.' 

John Travolta with his children Ella and Ben - with their pool in the background
The family at home in Florida

He said, 'Don't you think you have 30 more years in your life to live?'" "I said, 'Yeah, I do. I have at least 30 more years.' He said, 'What's wrong with that?' This is a 10-year-old telling me that! It changed my viewpoint."

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