Fans are buzzing over recent online photos shared of John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s son, which come three years after the dad divulged the heart-to-heart conversation he had with his son about his mom’s death.
Hollywood icon John Travolta’s son, Benjamin Travolta, recently celebrated his 14th birthday. To mark the special occasion, his loving dad and sister, Ella Bleu Travolta, took to Instagram to dedicate posts to him, which prompted a flurry of comments from social media users, who marveled at how grown Benjamin looks.
Fan comment about Benjamin Travolta, posted on November 24, 2024 | Source: Instagram/johntravolta
The “Grease” star shared a heartwarming photo of his beloved son, who was dressed in a black t-shirt, receiving affectionate licks on his face from the family dog. “Happy birthday my Ben. Your dad loves you! And so does Peanut!” captioned John alongside the image.
Ella’s post displayed the young boy looking out into the distance while sitting on a boat on the water, against thebackdrop of a beautiful sunset and mountains.
He wore a blue t-shirt and his hair appeared slightly longer than it was in his dad’s photo. “Happy Birthday Benjamin!!!!!! I love you❤️,” expressed the big sister in her caption.
Social media users who saw the birthday dedications flocked to the comment sections of each post to shower Benjamin with love and compliments. “Happy Birthday Ben 🎂🥳🎉you are looking so grown up 🧑🏼Peanut is giving you sweet kisses! 🐶🥰,” penned a fan.
Another echoed, “Happy 14th Birthday Ben! You have become such a handsome young man.🥳,” while someone else marveled, “OMG Ben is so grown, Happy Birthday Ben!! 🥳🎉🎁.”
A fellow surprised admirer wrote, “Omg i didn’t even recognize him. He has changed in the last few years. Happy 14th birthday, don’t be sad. Enjoy life. Embrace it everyday be thankful and grateful that you get to wake up every day and you have an amazing father and an amazing sister. 🙏🏼🤍✨️🎂 [sic].”
More pleasantly surprised comments ensued, with another observer stating, “Oh my goodness you are growing up so fast! Happy Birthday Ben! Wow 14 years! I am a longtime fan of your Dad and follow him on instagram. I love seeing the videos of your many talents! Keep it up Ben [sic]!”
“He has changed so much, happy birthday Ben blessings […]✨,” added a spectator. Seemingly detecting a sense of sorrow in Benjamin’s expression in Ella’s photo, an Instagrammer observed, “He looks so sad! 😞,” before they wished him well with, “Hope you had a great birthday Benjamin! 🥳🎊🎉🎂🎈.”
Referencing Benjamin, his dad and famous late mother, Kelly Preston, an admirer gushed, “Such a beautiful mix of the two of you. Happy birthday precious Ben! I hope you have a beautiful day today! Love.”
While Benjamin’s mom may be gone, she will never be forgotten, as both John and Ella (who have social media accounts) frequently post about her. One such instance saw the “Pulp Fiction” actor share a beautiful Mother’s Day post.
Kelly Preston sharing tender moments with Ella Bleu and Jett Travolta, posted on May 12, 2024 | Source: Instagram/johntravolta
He shared three photos showing Kelly being a doting mom to all her kids (including Jett Travolta, who sadly passed away years ago, at the age of 16). “Happy Mother’s Day Kelly. We love you we miss you,” reads John’s caption.
Kelly sadly passed away at 57 in 2020 following a two-year battle with breast cancer. A year after her demise, John opened up about the emotional conversation he had with Benjamin about Kelly’s death.
John Travolta at the Fourth Annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles, California on October 19, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
He appeared on an episode of famous actor and comedian Kevin Hart’s Peacock series “Hart to Heart,” where he recalled something Benjamin had said to him one night when the father and son were out for a walk. According to his doting dad, Benjamin disclosed, “Because mom passed away, I’m afraid you’re going to.”
“I said, ‘Well, it’s a very different thing.’ And I went through the differences about my longevity and her limited life. I said, ‘But you know, Ben … you always love the truth and I’m going to tell you the truth about life. Nobody knows when they’re gonna go or when they’re going to stay,” divulged John.
The father went on to re-contextualize the death of Jett and Kelly Preston, noting how young they were when they passed.
“But who’s to say? I could die tomorrow. You could. Anybody can. So let’s look at it like it’s part of life. You don’t know exactly. You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can,” explained John to Benjamin.
Since Kelly’s passing, John has been a single parent to Benjamin and Ella Bleu Travolta, who he loves dearly, for a few years now. Like he does with Kelly, John shares regular social media posts of his children.
One such post saw the father and his two kids out for a relaxing drive in an eye-catching vintage car. “To all the fathers out there! Happy Father’s Day!” highlighted John Travolta in the post’s caption.
The post was published in June, a few months before Benjamin’s birthday, which was on November 23. Benjamin was born in 2010 when his mother was in her late forties and hadn’t considered the risks of a later-in-life pregnancy.
Although the risks didn’t cross Kelly’s mind, she knew it would be difficult getting a baby into this world in her late 40s. When she conceived after three years of trying, she noted, “I never thought that would be me at all. So, I think we’re just really happy that we’re so fortunate.”
Kelly Preston at the “Casino Jack” premiere during the 35th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada on September 16, 2010 | Source: Getty Images
When Benjamin was born, his family noted that they were excited and happy about their newest addition in a statement.
Their message also confirmed that the mother and baby were doing well and looked beautiful after the birth. Ella, who was looking forward to being a big sister, even helped her mom clean the house to assist in preparing the place for her baby brother.
Seven weeks after Benjamin was born, his parents showed him off. They called their son a “miracle” because of how long they tried to conceive him and the age Kelly had him. “It’s so wonderful to bring another child into the world and to look at things through his eyes. He’s so innocent and so, just so sweet,” divulged the loving mom.
The couple chose the name Benjamin for their son because it’s a great boys’ and men’s name. “It’s also a really gentle name,” added Kelly, who described her son as peaceful, calm, and very present.
John gushed that their newborn had given their house a renewed spirit and purpose. Their home in Ocala, Florida, was filled with happiness, lullabies, readings, and snuggles. The parents were also ecstatic when Benjamin smiled for the first time.
In addition to making their home brighter, Kelly said Benjamin was helping the family heal after they lost Jett. As much as they still grieved the late 16-year-old, it was wonderful to welcome a new life into their family.
Kelly Preston, John Travolta, Ella Bleu Travolta, and Benjamin Travolta at the screening of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in Cannes, southern France on May 15, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
“We’ve gotten [sic] the most beautiful letters. And the most beautiful notes of happiness,” shared Kelly. It was a relief and joy for the family to share the happiness of Benjamin’s arrival with so many other people.
Kelly raised her son until his preteen years before she passed away. When she died, John announced the news in a post on Instagram on July 13, 2020. He thanked the medical centers that treated Kelly, including MD Anderson Cancer Centre, and the friends and loved ones who always supported them.
John added, “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.”
He also expressed gratitude for the overwhelming love and support from people as he and his family began the journey toward healing.
Three years later, when Benjamin turned 13 in November 2023, Ella celebrated him by posting an adorable picture of Benjamin as a toddler. She wrote, “Happy Birthday, my sweetest Benjamin. It feels like yesterday you were this young, and now you’re 13!! I love you!❤️🎉.”
John also shared pictures and videos of Benjamin on Instagram. The actor couldn’t believe that his son was now a teenager. “Ben turns 13 today. I love you, my son!” captioned the doting father.
