Famous Families
John Travolta’s Family Sweetly Honors Late Son Jett on What Would’ve Been His 28th Birthday
Touching. John Travolta kept his promise to never forget late son Jett as he honored his eldest child’s birthday. The beloved Grease star shared the sweetest tribute to celebrate what would’ve been Jett’s 28th trip around the sun.
“Happy Birthday, Jetty! We love you!” John, 66, gushed in the caption of a black and white throwback photo of the father-son duo on Monday, April 13. As fans recall, Jett tragically died at age 16 while on vacation in the Bahamas in January 2009.
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John’s wife and Jett’s mom, Kelly Preston, also commemorated her child’s special day. “Happy Birthday to our sweetest Jetty, we love you!!” the Twins actress, 57, captioned a snapshot of her and Jett hugging.
Jett’s sister, Ella Travolta — who was just 9 years old when her brother died — shared a heartwarming family portrait in honor of the bittersweet celebration. “Happy birthday to my brother Jett, I love you so much,” Ella, 20, wrote.
Fans offered their condolences to the Travolta family as they shared kind messages on John’s Instagram page. “Happy birthday to your beautiful angel,” one user wrote in the comments section. Another echoed, “May his memory be a blessing.” A third chimed in, “Such love in this picture — it’s beautiful.”
Every year since Jett’s death, John and Kelly — who also share 9-year-old Benjamin — have kept their son close to their heart. Considering Jett was the longtime couple’s eldest son, it’s no surprise the Saturday Night Fever actor is still heartbroken all these years later.
“It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in my life,” John told Us Weekly in a candid interview following the 10th anniversary of their son’s death in January 2019. “The truth is, I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”
The Pulp Fiction star even credited the Church of Scientology for playing a huge role in coping with the loss of their beloved child.
“The church never left our sides for two years,” he insisted at the time. “I don’t know if I would have made it through without their support. Our church is the No. 1 thing that keeps us grounded.”
We bet Jett is smiling down at dad John and the rest of his family!
