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John Travolta honored his late son Jett Travolta on what would have been his 29th birthday. The Grease star shared a moving tribute to Jett on Instagram, Tuesday. “Happy birthday my beautiful Jetty. I love you,” John wrote alongside a black and white photo of him and his firstborn.
Ella Travolta commented on her father’s post with three heart emojis. The actress also commemorated her older brother’s birthday with a post on her Instagram account. “I love you Jetty. Happy Birthday❤️,” Ella captioned a throwback photo of her with Jett.
Jett was the eldest of John and Kelly Preston ’s children. He died in 2009 at the age of 16 after suffering a seizure during a family vacation in the Bahamas.
This year mark’s Jett’s first birthday since John’s wife died in 2020. Kelly passed away last July following a two-year battle with breast cancer.
Ahead of Jett’s birthday last year, Kelly shared a family photo writing, “I have a special place in my heart for those with autism and special needs. Sending love to some of my favorite people in the world. My son Jetty was one of the most playful and wonderful souls you’ve ever met. Love to all of you with autism and special needs around the world.”
John and Kelly welcomed their third child, son Benjamin, less than two years after Jett’s death. In 2016, the actor told Good Morning America (via People magazine), “Certainly having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to re-bond after a tremendous loss.”