John Travolta and Kelly Preston at Cannes Film Festival in 2018© Getty

Meet John Travolta's 3 kids with late wife Kelly Preston

The Grease actor and his late wife were married from 1991 until her passing in 2020, and shared three children

Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
October 17, 2024

He may be Danny Zuko for some or Vincent Vega to others, but to his kids, John Travolta will always be dad, first and foremost.

The Grease actor first became a father in 1992, one year after he married his late wife Kelly Preston, when they welcomed son Jett.

The couple became parents for a second time eight years later, when they welcomed daughter Ella, 24, in 2000, followed by their son Benjamin, 13, born in 2010.

Benjamin was born almost two years after Jett tragically passed away aged 16 in 2009 after suffering from a seizure. The family later faced heartbreak again in 2020, when Kelly, aged 57, passed away after a battle with breast cancer.

Read on for what to know about John and Kelly's three kids.

Tragically, John also lost firstborn son Jett in 2009© Tim Boyles

Jett

John and Kelly's firstborn, Jett, was born on April 13, 1992. Though the couple kept him largely out of the spotlight and didn't comment much on Jett's personal life, following his death in 2009, Kelly did share on an episode of The Doctors in 2012 that he was "autistic," and: "He had seizures and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki Syndrome."

Per the CDC, Kawasaki syndrome is a disease that occurs mostly in children younger than 5 years old and can cause heart and blood vessel damage. 


Jett passed away in January 2009 while on vacation with his parents at their home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island when he hit his head on a bathtub while suffering from a seizure.

MORE: John Travolta's daughter Ella talks 'scary' experience with family during time away from home

In 2022, on what would have been Jett's 30th birthday, John penned a tribute on Instagram in his honor, which read: "My dearest Jetty, I miss you more than words can say. I think about you everyday. Happy Birthday. Love, your Dad."

© Instagram

Ella Bleu, 24

Ella Bleu arrived on April 3, 2000, and grew up in her parents' home in Clearwater, Florida. Though she had a largely private childhood away from the spotlight, save for occasional public appearances, she has in recent years begun to form a music career.

In 2022, she released her first singles, "Dizzy" and "No thank you," and most recently, she released "Little bird," which is in honor of her mom Kelly. She has also appeared in some of her dad's movies, including Old Dogs in 2009 and The Poison Rose in 2019.

© Getty

MORE: John Travolta's daughter Ella pays tribute to mom Kelly Preston on what would have been 62nd birthday

In addition to her budding music career, she has also dabbled in modeling, and is an avid baker; she shares some of her plant based creations on an Instagram account named Ella Bleu Bakes.

© Instagram

Benjamin, 13

Benjamin was born on November 23, 2010, almost two years after his older brother Jett's passing. That January, John and Kelly told People that Benjamin's arrival had "given the house a renewed spirit and purpose," and described him and their little "miracle."

MORE: John Travolta's teenage son Ben steals the show in new video following difficult time in family life

© Instagram

Though Benjamin hasn't followed in his older sister's footsteps when it comes to the entertainment industry, he is nonetheless his dad's adventurous little sidekick.

John has frequently shared videos of Benjamin expertly skiing, doing parkour, or taking on jungle gym and gymnastics challenges.

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