dedicated his newly released feature directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, to his late wife and their late son Jett Travolta.
Showbiz
Travolta Triumphs Over Grief After Family Loss
John Travolta dedicated his newly released feature directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, to his late wife Kelly Preston and their late son Jett Trav...
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'They are the model from which this film was born,' the grieving 72-year-old told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday.
'Life has certainly tested me, [but my] nature is to look for the positive, even in the face of the worst.'
Travolta continued: '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.'
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The movie star couple's eldest child tragically died in 2009, at age 16, during a family getaway to the Bahamas.
Jett - who had autism, asthma and Kawasaki Syndrome - was said to have suffered a seizure and hit his head in a bathtub inside the Old Bahama Bay Hotel.
John Travolta dedicated his newly released feature directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, to his late wife Kelly Preston and their late son Jett Travolta (R, pictured in 1997)
'They are the model from which this film was born,' the grieving 72-year-old told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday. 'Life has certainly tested me, [but my] nature is to look for the positive, even in the face of the worst' (pictured last Thursday)
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Preston reportedly blamed household cleaners, fertilizers and pesticides as the cause of Jett's autism spectrum disorder and lobbied for better labeling on chemicals.
The Jerry Maguire alum tragically passed away herself, age 57, in 2020 following a secret two-year battle with breast cancer.
During their impressive 29-year marriage, Preston also welcomed 26-year-old actress daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and 15-year-old ski-jumping son Benjamin Hunter Travolta.
Travolta continued: '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'
The movie star couple's eldest child tragically died in 2009, at age 16, during a family getaway to the Bahamas (pictured in 2008)
Jett - who had autism, asthma and Kawasaki Syndrome - was said to have suffered a seizure and hit his head in a bathtub inside the Old Bahama Bay Hotel
Preston reportedly blamed household cleaners, fertilizers and pesticides as the cause of Jett's autism spectrum disorder and lobbied for better labeling on chemicals (pictured in 2009)
The Jerry Maguire alum tragically passed away herself, age 57, in 2020 following a secret two-year battle with breast cancer (pictured in 2018)
During their impressive 29-year marriage, Preston also welcomed 26-year-old actress daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and 15-year-old ski-jumping son Benjamin Hunter Travolta (pictured in 2019)
Travolta wrote, directed, narrated and acted in his 61-minute semi-autobiographical film based on his own 1997 children's novella, which depicted his first flight in 1962
The seasoned pilot took to Instagram last Friday to proudly announce his movie debuted at No. 1 on Apple TV's top 10 films
However, Propeller One-Way Night Coach currently has a dismal 57 percent critic approval rating (out of 35 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes
The nostalgic film also stars Travolta's nepo baby as a flight attendant (pictured) as well as Clark Shotwell, Kelly Eviston-Quinnett and Olga Hoffmann
The two-time Oscar nominee reportedly received four separate standing ovations during the world premiere May 15 at the Cannes Film Festival, and he was awarded with a surprise Honorary Palme d'Or
Travolta co-starred with Ella, yet again, in Renny Harlin's upcoming orca survival thriller Black Tides, which was shot in Spain last October (pictured last Thursday)
The High Rollers action star co-starred with Ella, yet again, in Renny Harlin's upcoming orca survival thriller Black Tides, which was shot in Spain last October.
Travolta's other upcoming projects include Asif Akbar's faith-driven action-thriller Syndicate, Roland Joffé's JFK assassination flick November 1963 and Nick Vallelonga's musical rom-com That's Amore!
But the New Jersey native is best known for his roles in Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease (1978), Urban Cowboy (1980), Blow Out (1981), Look Who's Talking (1989), Pulp Fiction (1994), Face/Off (1997) and Hairspray (2007).
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