John Travolta has starred in comedies and tragedies galore – but he’s had no shortage of drama in real life either.
The Hollywood megastar, who celebrates his 69th birthday today (February 18) is known for movies including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Look Who’s Talking and Pulp Fiction.
However, away from the silver screen he’s had more than his fair share to deal with.
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As well enduring more than one unimaginable personal tragedy, he’s also one of the highest profile Scientologists on the planet and even owned a home near the Church’s headquarters.
On his 69th birthday, Daily Star has taken a look inside his personal life.
Early Life
(Image: DENIZE alain/Sygma via Getty Images)
Born in 1954 in New Jersey, Travolta was one of six children and always loved acting.
When he was just 16, he dropped out of school to pursue his dream of becoming a big star.
He landed some smaller jobs in adverts before making his Off-Broadway debut in Rain in 1972.
After the show’s brief run, he toured in a minor role in Grease before making his Broadway debut in Over Here!
He then starred in the movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) where he met his first love Diana Hyland.
Triple tragedy
(Image: Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
It’s fair to say Travolta is more familiar with personal tragedy than he would like.
He started dating Diana Hyland, who was 18 years his senior, after they hit it off on set in 1976.
Sadly she died of cancer in 1977. She was just 41. In interviews Travolta has said she “died in his arms.”
In the 1980s he dated actress Catherine Deneuve and had an on-off relationship with actress Marilu Henner, but in 1988 he met actress Kelly Preston while they were filming The Experts. The pair got together and married in 1991.
He had three children with Kelly – Jett, Ella and Benjamin.
(Image: Fotos International/REX/Shutterstock)
But in 2009, they suffered another unimaginably heartbreaking tragedy when 16 year old Jett died during a family vacation in the Bahamas.
Jett reportedly suffered a seizure and his head on side of the bathtub. He died despite efforts to resuscitate him.
Travolta said in a statement: “Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered. We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief.”
(Image: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
In another crushing blow, in 2020, Kelly died two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Since Kelly’s tragic passing, Travolta has sworn off dating anyone else.
A source told RadarOnline.com: “John still considers himself married and says he will stay loyal to Kelly until the day he dies.
“It’s hands off when it comes to dating. As far as he is concerned, Kelly will always be the only woman for him.”
“Dedicated” scientologist
(Image: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for G’Day USA)
Travolta is said to have leaned on the Church of Scientology a lot to help him deal with his tragic losses.
He joined the controversial religious movement in 1975.
In August 2021, he was listed as one of the most successful Scientologists on the religion’s website.
On the site, he was reportedly quoted as saying: “As a Scientologist, I have the technology to handle life’s problems and I have used this to help others in life as well. I would say Scientology put me into the big time.”
(Image: Alex Berliner/BEI/REX/Shutterstock)
Later that month, however, he sold his home near Scientology headquarters in Florida, fuelling speculation that he may be stepping away from the church after the death of his wife.
He is also reported to have had a feud with fellow actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise over a rivalry to be crowned the most “dedicated” member of the Church.
Private jet collection
(Image: PIERRE VERDY/AFP/Getty Images)
Travolta has been a qualified pilot for more 40 years and owns seven jets worth millions of dollars.
His private stable is home to a Bombardier Challenger 601, Boeing 727, Eclipse 500, Dassault Falcon 900, and three Gulfstream jets.
His infamous ‘Airport Mansion’ in Ocala, Florida, is home to its own airstrip, allowing him to fly across the world from his own home.
He previously confessed that “aviation has always rescued me from anything in my mind that is blue,” adding that he can “look at an airline schedule and brochure and be encouraged.”
Anti-drugs stance
(Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
He might have convinced as heroin-addled hitman Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, but Travolta is very much anti-drugs.
As preparation for the role, he spoke to a real life heroin addict, who was a friend of director Quentin Tarantino.
Maui Watch reported: “Tarantino’s friend explained ‘If you want to get the ‘bottom envelope’ feeling of that, get plastered on Tequila, and lie down in a hot pool. Then you will have barely touched the feeling of what it might be like to be on heroin.’”
Travolta apparently told his wife Kelly, who joined him in a hotel hot tub with “shots of Tequila lined from end to end on the railings.”
Away from movies, he’s been clear about his feelings on drugs.
At the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre 44th Anniversary Gala he said: “Something needs to be done about all the artists we’re losing to drugs because I’m tired of it.”
He attributed his reasoning for speaking on it because of his passion for this fight.
“I don’t want to lose any more artists,” Travolta stated. “It’s too much already.”
Bald truth
(Image: johntravolta/instagram)
There had been speculation on Travolta’s receding hair line for years, with some believing he was wearing using wigs and hair pieces.
But he finally decided to put and end to the chatter in 2019, shaving it all off.
He posted a selfie of himself with his daughter on Instagram which showed his new slick, shaved head.
And his followers loved the new look.
One commented: “bald is really, really beautiful!”
While another added “It’s not easy accepting little or no hair… but it can be liberating” .
Travolta said the inspiration for his bald look was none other than the pop star Pitbull.
“A good friend, Armando Perez, Pitbull – he lives his life like this,” Travolta told Extra.
“He would send pictures of me, I have all my hair, and he’d superimpose no hair and say, ‘I prefer this,’ so I thought … maybe it’s time to do it.”
Both fans and his wife Kelly gave his new look their seal of approval.
“Oh, she loves it… She has always loved the idea,” Travolta said.
“It’s been a lot easier. Life’s simpler. The biggest fun has been just the response to it. I felt like Zoolander or something — I came out and my new look became headline news. The only other time I was a leading story was when I mispronounced at the Oscars.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
