Actress Kelly Preston died Sunday at 57 following a two-year battle with breast cancer, her husband, John Travolta, announced.
Preston, best known for her roles in films including "Twins" and "Jerry Maguire," is survived by Travolta, her daughter Ella, 20, and her son, Benjamin, 9.
She is predeceased by her son Jett, who died at age 16 in 2010.
"Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy," Ella Travolta wrote in a message to her late mother. "Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help and thank you for making this world a better place."
Although Preston was a prolific actress, appearing in more than 60 projects, friends who remembered her on social media noted how devoted she was to her family.
"She loved fiercely," Rita Wilson tweeted. "Loved her beautiful children Jett, Ella and Ben and loved her husband."
therealkellypreston Such a beautiful soul, sparkling eyes exuding kindness and strength. She found the joy in life. She loved fiercely. Loved her beautiful children Jett, Ella and Ben and loved her husband. She was a… https://t.co/ngpONRUOXu
— Rita Wilson (@RitaWilson) July 13, 2020
Added Maria Shriver: "Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife."
Shocked by this sad news. Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife. My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief. Join me in sending them love and strength. #RIP #KellyPreston https://t.co/DndcfOtlOn
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) July 13, 2020
"Good Morning America" looked back on Preston's life with Travolta and their children, below.
Preston, then married to actor Kevin Gage, met Travolta during a screen test for the 1989 film "The Experts." For the actors, it was "kinda" love at first sight, she said.
"Well I was not that happily married, let's put it that way," Preston explained in 2018 interview with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live!" "I was really with the wrong person."
In Travolta, she found the right guy. "There's too many 'best things' [about him]," she added. "His lips, dancing, fun, laughing."
Although Preston and Travolta didn't get together immediately after her split from Gage — she had romances with George Clooney and Charlie Sheen beforehand — theirs was a whirlwind romance. The "Saturday Night Fever" star proposed to Preston on New Year's Eve in 1990, according to an article from People at the time. While at a party at the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, Travolta reportedly popped the question along with a six-carat diamond ring. A fellow reveler told the magazine that after the actor asked, "Kelly, will you marry me?" the actress screamed with joy.
Preston, then newly pregnant with her and Travolta's eldest, Jett, became so overwhelmed with wedding planning that she and her future husband decided to elope to Paris instead.
"Once the florist's assistant got an assistant, I was done," she said in a 2018 interview with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. "We ran away, eloped, and went to Paris."
They later made the marriage official in the U.S.
Travolta and Preston welcomed their son Jett in 1992 and knew immediately that they weren't done growing their family.
"I definitely want more kids," Preston told People in 1994. "I just want to work a little more first."
She did. Preston went on to appear in films including "Jerry Maguire" in 1996 and "Addicted to Love" in 1997.
In 2000, Preston gave birth to her and Travolta's daughter, Ella. Less than a decade later, the budding actress appeared alongside her parents in the 2009 film "Old Dogs."
In January, 2009, Jett Travolta, who had autism, died after suffering a seizure during a family trip to the Bahamas.
"To my sweet love, Jett... you are in our hearts forever," Preston wrote last year. "I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs #autismawareness #autism."
Preston gave birth to her and Travolta's third child, Benjamin, in late 2010.
"We had been trying for quite a few years, and then of course there was a time when we weren't, and then we started trying again," she reportedly told Health magazine in 2011. "It's pretty amazing having a child at this age."
Preston and Travolta worked together several times, but most recently on the 2018 film "Gotti," in which they played couple John and Victoria Gotti.
"For us to be in a movie where we're playing other people is so much fun, and that's what we kind of live for -- to have that creative experience together," Travolta told "Entertainment Tonight" at the time. "Gotti" would be one of Preston's final films.
Now, Travolta is left mourning the woman he loved for three decades. "Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered," he wrote on Instagram earlier this week. "I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal."
