John Travolta and his late wife, Kelly Preston, had three children: daughter Ella Bleu and sons Benjamin and Jett. Jett passed away in 2009 at the age of 16. Preston sadly died from breast cancer in 2020, and for the last six years, the actor has been parenting Ella Bleu and her younger brother Benjamin on his own.
John Travolta Shares His Pride
In an interview with ExtraTV, published on Thursday, November 12, Travolta spoke about his children and how incredibly proud he is of them. “My children are… It’s hard to find the words,” Travolta said. “But every parent dreams that they’d have these ideal children, and they live up and beyond it. I can leave this lifetime knowing I’ve done well, and Kelly knowing that she did well. I really can say that. I’m very proud of them.”
John Travolta’s Close Relationship With His Children
Travolta is a supportive father, and as his daughter embraces the limelight as an adult, he has celebrated her achievements, including her Paris Fashion Week debut and her pursuit of a career as an actor. This includes starring in Travolta’s film, “Propeller One-Way Night Coach.” At 15, Benjamin is less visible, and the “Pulp Fiction” star will likely let him decide for himself whether to embrace the spotlight as an adult.
On November 1, Ella Bleu and Travolta attended the inaugural Dwight D. Opperman Excellence in Leadership Awards in Washington, D.C. There, the actor received the Cultural Icon Award, and his daughter gave a heartwarming speech in his honor.
“For the past 26 years, I’ve had a front row seat to someone who has never lost their excitement for life. Someone who continues to learn and has a passion to learn; someone who gives without ever expecting anything in return. Someone who is kind,” she said, People reports. “So while the world celebrates a cultural icon, my brother Ben and I get to celebrate our hero. Congratulations Dad.”
Travolta shared the video from the event on Instagram. It highlights the best parts of the night and shows the “Grease” actor beaming as his daughter takes to the stage to present him the award. In the caption, he wrote, “The only thing better than receiving the Dwight D. Opperman Excellence in Leadership Award, is having my daughter being the one to present it to me. And thank you to the library of congress for inducting 4 of my films.”
Ella responded in the comments twice, first with “I’m so proud of you,” and then with a heart emoji.
John Travolta’s Wonderful Father
Travolta praised his own father as an extraordinary man in a heartfelt tribute on Instagram in 2025. “My father was an extraordinary man, patient, tolerant, and super intelligent. An excellent athlete, and most importantly he was a wonderful father that had very sound and logical advice that I still use to this day!” he wrote. “Happy Father’s Day to my father, I love you very much and Happy Father’s Day to everyone who loves being a father!”
John Travolta Becomes Emotional as He Shares Thoughts on Fatherhood, 6 Years After His Wife Passed Away