Best known for his portrayal of hunky high-school heartthrob Danny Zuko, John Travolta is known for loving Sandra Dee in an epic love story that played out on screen in 1978 – but what about his love life in real life?
Acting alongside Olivia Newton-John in Grease, with the duo taking on the lead roles, fans were quick to speculate whether the pair had a romantic bond.
Although they undoubtedly had a lot of chemistry that sizzled on-screen, the pair were in fact just good friends and remained very close until Olivia’s sad passing.
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Just like John and Olivia’s friendship ended in heartbreak, many of John’s relationships have too.
From his girlfriend dying in his arms to his wife dying in a similar way, John hasn’t had a plain-sailing love life.
Girlfriend dying in his arms
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In his early 20s John experienced a brutal bout of heartbreak when his first major romance ended abruptly.
When the was in the early stages of his career, he took on the role of Tod in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, where he would meet a very special lady.
While filming the 1976 film, John met Diana Hyland, an American stage, film and television actress, with John being 18 years her junior.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Diana was in her forties when she and John struck up a romantic relationship that would see the Grease hunk fall head over heels in love.
The couple remained together until the 41-year-old actress sadly died from breast cancer on March 27, 1977.
Speaking to People magazine at the time of their romance, John said of Diana: “I have never been more in love with anyone in my life.”
He went on: “I thought I was in love before, but I wasn’t. From the moment I met her I was attracted. We were like two maniacs talking all the time on the set of ‘Bubble.’ After a month it became romantic.”
On-again/off-again relationships and speculations
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In 1980 John dated French actress Catherine Deneuve, although there is not much public information surrounding their romance.
The French actress, model and singer is also reported to have dated a string of other high profile males, including Sami Frey, Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds among others.
After his alleged romance with Catherine, John had an on-and-off relationship with actress Marilu Henner, which ended permanently in 1985.
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Just like fans speculated that there might be a romantic bon between Olivia Newton-John and the Danny Zuko actor, fans once speculated that he and Princess Diana might have a connection.
Famously dancing with Diana in 1985 during a royal visit to see President Ronald Reagan at the White House, fans thought their dance was like something out of a fairy-tale.
The Saturday Night Fever star told People magazine: “It was a storybook moment. We bowed when it was over, and, you know, she was off, and I was off, and my carriage turned into a pumpkin.”
28-year love story before sad ending
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In 1988 while filming The Experts, John would meet the love of his life who he would share his world with – Kelly Preston.
When the pair met Kelly had not long divorced Kevin, which meant she was single and looking for love.
John and Kelly then dated for a short while before they tied the knot in a sweet ceremony in Paris in 1991.
Their ceremony took place at the Hotel de Crillon on September 5, 1991, but a second ceremony was required because the first, performed by a French Scientology minister was considered invalid.
The second ceremony took place days later on September 12 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
(Image: Getty Images)
During their marriage the couple had three children: Jett (1992–2009), Ella Bleu (born 2000), and Benjamin (born 2010).
With a solid relationship, the pair were open about attending marriage counselling.
According to the Irish Examiner in 2005, John spoke of the counselling when he said: “I know for a fact that we wouldn’t be together if we hadn’t had counselling. We used to have counselling every six months for 12 years.
“Relationships grow and change. If you don’t update your relationship with someone, you grow apart.”
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In 2009 the couple suffered a huge blow to their family when Jett, who had a history of having seizures from the age of two, died at 16 years of age.
When the family were holidaying in the Bahamas, Jett died after he suffered a seizure and hitting his head on a bathtub.
In 2020, Kelly sadly died after a two-year-long battle with breast cancer, aged just 57.
Kelly passed away in the summer of 2020 at her home in Clearwater, Florida, two years after she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She had been receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, with her death announced on Instagram under an account belonging to John and their daughter Ella Bleu.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
