John Travolta is opening up about one of the most personal chapters of his life.
The actor recently reflected on how he has managed to keep moving forward after enduring the heartbreaking losses of both his wife, Kelly Preston, and his son, Jett Travolta.
Travolta Opens Up About Loss
Despite facing tragedies that would forever change his family, Travolta says he continues to focus on hope rather than despair.
Speaking with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the 72-year-old star explained that his new film, “Propeller: One-Way Night Coach,” carries a special dedication to the people he has loved and lost.
“I dedicated the film to Kelly, to my son Jett, to my brothers and sisters, to my mother and my father, because they are the model from which this film was born,” he said.
Travolta’s son Jett died in 2009 at the age of 16 after suffering a seizure while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas.
More than a decade later, the actor experienced another devastating loss when Preston died in 2020 at age 57 following a private battle with breast cancer.
When asked how he has maintained a positive outlook after such painful experiences, Travolta acknowledged that life has tested him in profound ways. Still, he believes optimism is part of who he is.
“Life has certainly tested me,” he said.
Rather than allowing grief to define him, Travolta explained that he actively chooses to focus on light, even when faced with darkness.
“My nature is to look for the positive, even in the face of the worst,” he shared.
“I’m not made to remain absorbed in the darkness. I can look at the darkness, but I don’t choose to die in that darkness.”
Travolta Wrote the Book Based on the Film
The comments offer a rare glimpse into how the longtime Hollywood star has navigated years of personal loss while continuing to work and create.
His latest project is especially meaningful because it is rooted in his own life story.
“Propeller: One-Way Night Coach” is based on Travolta’s first experience flying as a child and draws inspiration from the children’s book he published in 1997.
The semi-autobiographical film follows an 8-year-old boy named Jeff as he experiences the wonder of aviation while traveling across the United States in 1962.
Adding another personal layer to the project, the film also stars Travolta’s daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta.
Travolta & Ella Have Been Promoting the Film
In recent weeks, father and daughter have been promoting the film together and sharing their experiences working side by side.
Ella spoke proudly about watching her father take on the role of director for the project.
“I’m also so, so proud,” she said.
She went on to praise his vision and preparation behind the camera.
“It was so inspiring and so incredible because he had the whole film — all the music, all the shots — everything in his head beforehand,” she shared.
According to Ella, her father approached the project with remarkable clarity from the beginning, earning her admiration throughout the filmmaking process.
