John Travolta shares moving advice about grief nearly a year after wife Kelly Preston’s death
"Living in mourning is something personal."
"Living in mourning is something personal."
"Living in mourning is something personal."
John Travolta is beginning to open up about losing his wife Kelly Preston, who died in July. The TV actress was 57, ending her two-year battle with breast cancer.
In a new interview with Esquire Spain, which was originally published in Spanish, the Grease star shared what he’s learned through the grieving process.
"Living in mourning is something personal," Travolta, 67, explained. For him, it meant first being there for his and Preston’s children — Ella, 21, and Benjamin, 10. But eventually, he had to step away and force himself to confront the heartbreak.
While most people tend to gather in support after loss, Travolta said he found himself so overwhelmed and "saturated" with everyone else’s sadness that he "didn’t know what to do."
That’s when he realized he had to face his feelings alone.
"The first thing you should do when you experience grief is to go to a place where you can mourn, without any interference," he said. "Even though it’s great to have company, sometimes it becomes like you’re helping them rather than putting yourself to work overcoming feelings of loss and grief."
Unfortunately, the movie star is all too familiar with those emotions, having lost his first son Jett on a family vacation in 2009. With that, his most crucial piece of advice for those who want to help a grieving person is simple: "The most important thing you can do to help another when they are in mourning is to allow them to live it and not complicate it with yours."
Travolta and Preston met in 1989 while filming The Experts and married in 1991, per Today. On July 13, he announced her death to the world.
"She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many," he wrote on Instagram. "My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side."
He continued: "Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered. 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."