John Travolta Reveals the "Glue" That Held His Family Together After Son Jett's Death

The actor recalls losing his oldest child after he suffered a deadly seizure at 16 years old

By Samantha Schnurr Sep 26, 2016 4:20 PMTags
John Travolta, Jett TravoltaCourtesy of Travolta Family

John Travolta endured a parent's worst nightmare, but was able to come out the other side thanks in part to someone he calls a "beautiful kind of glue."

Nearly eight years after the untimely passing of Jett Travolta, the actor's oldest child who died in the Bahamas after suffering a seizure at 16, the Life and Death of John Gotti star reflected candidly on the tragedy after nearly a decade. 

"We certainly have bonded together," the actor said during an interview for Good Morning America. "Certainly having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to rebond after a tremendous loss."

Travolta and his longtime wife, actress Kelly Preston, welcomed Benjamin Hunter in 2010, a year after Jett's death. The couple's second child, Ella Bleu, is now 16 years old. 

photos
John Travolta's Best Roles

A sign of such bonding will come next year when Travolta and Preston reunite on the silver screenOn the heels of his first Emmy nomination for his performance in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, the Grease icon is slated to star as John Gotti alongside his real-life wife in an upcoming feature film about the mobster and his son in the 1980s. 

While losing his own son is far from a happy memory, Travolta did recall a moment he thinks is the best of the '80s—dancing with Princess Diana

"I danced with Princess Diana in 1986," he said. "That was one of the highlights of my life."