Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including ''
Mischief
Mischief or malicious mischief is the name for a criminal offenses that is defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a legal different ...
'' (1985), ''
Twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
'' (1988), ''
Jerry Maguire
''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe; it stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, and Regina King. Produced in part by James L. Brooks, it was ins ...
'' (1996), and ''
For Love of the Game'' (1999). She married
John Travolta in 1991, with whom she collaborated on the comedy film ''
The Experts'' (1989) and the biographical film ''
Gotti'' (2018). She also starred in the films ''
SpaceCamp
''SpaceCamp'' is a 1986 American science fiction adventure film inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directed by Harry Winer, story by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams, screenplay by Clifford Green (as W. W. Wicket) and Ca ...
'' (1986), ''
The Cat in the Hat
''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red b ...
'' (2003), ''
What a Girl Wants'' (2003), ''
Sky High'' (2005), and ''
Old Dogs
Old Dogs was an American country music supergroup composed of singers Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed. Signed in 1998 to Atlantic Records, Old Dogs recorded a self-titled studio album for the label that year. The album ...
'' (2009).
Early years
Kelly Kamalelehua Smith
(the middle name "Kamalelehua" means "garden of
lehuas" in
Hawaiian)
was born in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center. Her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when she was three years old.
Her mother subsequently married Peter Palzis, a personnel director. He adopted her, and she used his name at the start of her acting career.
She also had a younger half-brother, Chris Palzis.
As a child, she lived in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, and also Australia,
where she attended
Pembroke School, Adelaide
, motto_translation = Out of Unity, Strength
, established = 1915 (Girton Girls' School)1923 (King's College)1974 (amalgamation)
, type = Independent, co-educational, day and boarding
, denomination ...
. She then attended
Punahou School in Honolulu, graduating in 1980,
and studied drama and theater at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
.
Career
While living in Australia, she was discovered at age 16 by a fashion photographer who helped her get work in commercials and other small parts.
He arranged her first film audition for the role of Emmeline in ''
The Blue Lagoon'' (1980), which she lost to the younger
Brooke Shields.
At that time she changed her last name to Preston.
[Kelly Preston Vitals]
at Ask Men.com
Her first prominent film roles came in 1985—first as Marilyn McCauley in the romantic
teen flick
Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens, or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with pare ...
comedy ''
Mischief
Mischief or malicious mischief is the name for a criminal offenses that is defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a legal different ...
''; then as the beautiful but shallow Deborah Ann Fimple in another teen romantic comedy, ''
Secret Admirer
A secret admirer is an individual who feels adoration, fondness or love for another person without disclosing their identity to that person, and who might send gifts or love letters to their crush.
Grade school
The goal of a secret admirer is ...
''. Her other roles included ''
SpaceCamp
''SpaceCamp'' is a 1986 American science fiction adventure film inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directed by Harry Winer, story by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams, screenplay by Clifford Green (as W. W. Wicket) and Ca ...
'' (1986), ''
Twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
'' (1988) with
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
, Avery Bishop in ''
Jerry Maguire
''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe; it stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, and Regina King. Produced in part by James L. Brooks, it was ins ...
'' (1996) with
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...
, Jane Aubrey in ''
For Love of the Game'' with
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
and Kate Newell, and in ''
Holy Man
''Holy Man'' is a 1998 American television satirical comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek, written by Tom Schulman, and starring Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston, Robert Loggia, Jon Cryer, and Eric McCormack. The film was a ...
'' (1998) with
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
and
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels.
...
. In 1997, she starred in ''
Nothing to Lose'', which co-starred
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
and
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...
. She also starred in the movie ''
Jack Frost
Jack Frost is a personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, winter, and freezing cold. He is a variant of Old Man Winter who is held responsible for frosty weather, nipping the fingers and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, ...
'' (1998).
She played the girlfriend of her husband
John Travolta's character Terl in the film ''
Battlefield Earth'',
for which she received "Worst Supporting Actress" at the
21st Golden Raspberry Awards
The 21st Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 24, 2001, at the Radisson-Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California, USA, to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 2000.
Science fiction bomb '' Battlefield Earth'' swept the a ...
. She appeared as the protagonist's flying, superhero mother in the film ''
Sky High'' (2005).
150px, Preston in 2005
In 2004, she was in the
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
music video "
She Will Be Loved
"She Will Be Loved" is a song by American pop rock band Maroon 5. It was written by frontman Adam Levine and lead guitarist James Valentine. The song was released on June 21, 2004, as the third single from Maroon 5's 2002 debut studio album, '' ...
", which featured a love triangle and romantic scenes between her and Maroon 5 front man
Adam Levine. She appeared in the crime thriller ''
Death Sentence
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
'' (2007), in which she played Helen Hume, the wife of
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...
's character Nick. In 2008, she was cast in a television pilot called ''Suburban Shootout'',
and had a short term recurring role in ''
Medium
Medium may refer to:
Science and technology
Aviation
*Medium bomber, a class of war plane
*Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data
* Medium of ...
''.
She starred in the
Lifetime television film ''
The Tenth Circle
''The Tenth Circle'' (2006) is the thirteenth novel by the American author, Jodi Picoult. The novel deals with date rape, and father/daughter relationships. The novel heavily references Dante Alighieri's ''Inferno''.
Plot
When freshman Trixie St ...
'' (2008), directed by
Peter Markle
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
. It was shot in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
and featured
Ron Eldard
Ronald Jason Eldard (born February 20, 1965) is an American actor.
Early life
Eldard was born on Long Island, New York. He is the sixth of seven children, and has four sisters and two brothers. He is of Irish and Scottish descent. Eldard's mothe ...
,
Britt Robertson
Brittany Leanna Robertson (born April 18, 1990) is an American actress. She is known for her lead role in '' The First Time'' (2012), and has appeared in the films ''Tomorrowland'' (2015), '' The Space Between Us'' (2017), ''A Dog's Purpose'' ...
,
Michael Riley
Michael Riley (born February 4, 1962) is a Canadian actor. From 1998 to 2000, he portrayed Brett Parker in '' Power Play''. He has acted in over 40 films and television series, including '' This Is Wonderland'', for which he received a Gemini Aw ...
,
Jamie Johnston
James Michael Johnston (born July 7, 1989) is a Canadian actor and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his role as Peter Stone on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
Personal life and career
Johnston was born July 7, 1989 in Toronto, Onta ...
and Geordie Brown.
She was a spokeswoman for
Neutrogena
Neutrogena Corporation, trading as Neutrogena, is an American company that markets skin care, hair care and cosmetics owned by parent company Johnson & Johnson and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. , appearing in its print and television ads.
Her final red carpet appearance came at the New York City premiere of her husband's motion picture ''
Gotti'' in 2018.
Her final film role was in the comedy-drama ''
Off the Rails'', which was released in late July 2021 in the UK.
Personal life
Preston was married to actor
Kevin Gage from 1985 until their divorce in 1987.
She also had a relationship with
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
in the late 1980s.
She was briefly engaged to
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
in 1990,
but ended the relationship shortly after he allegedly shot her in the arm.
["Charlie Sheen Biography"]
, Biography Channel
FYI (stylized as fyi,) is an American basic cable channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications (each owns 50%). The network features lifestyle pr ...
website. Retrieved October 26, 2010. In a 2011 interview with TMZ, Preston said that Sheen did not shoot her.
Preston met
John Travolta in 1987 while filming ''
The Experts''. They married in 1991, traveling to Paris on an
Air France
Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
for a wedding ceremony at the
Hotel de Crillon (on the
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.
...
) on September 5, 1991. However, a second ceremony was required because the first, performed by a French
Scientology
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data indi ...
minister (both Preston and Travolta were Scientologists), was considered invalid. The second ceremony took place on September 12 in
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
, Florida. Preston and Travolta had three children: son Jett, daughter Ella Bleu, and a second son, Benjamin.
Preston remained a Scientologist until her death.
Death of Jett Travolta
Preston's son Jett Travolta was described as suffering from
Kawasaki disease
Kawasaki disease is a syndrome of unknown cause that results in a fever and mainly affects children under 5 years of age. It is a form of vasculitis, where blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body. The fever typically lasts for more tha ...
as an infant and had a history of seizures.
In 2003, Preston appeared on ''
The Montel Williams Show
''The Montel Williams Show'' (also known as ''Montel'') is an American syndicated tabloid talk show, hosted by Montel Williams, which ran from 1991 to 2008.
On January 30, 2008, the end of production of new episodes of ''The Montel Williams S ...
'' to promote
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianeti ...
's
Purification Rundown
The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, is a detoxification program which involves heat exposure for up to 5 hours a day and can exceed 4 weeks in length. It was developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard a ...
, which she credited with helping her son.
On January 2, 2009, Jett Travolta died while the family was vacationing in
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
.
His death was attributed to a
seizure
An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...
.
In September 2009, Travolta and Preston confirmed longstanding speculations when they testified that their son had
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
and suffered regular seizures. This transpired during their testimony at the trial resulting from an
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
attempt related to their son's death.
On January 23, 2009, three people were arrested in the Bahamas in connection with a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against Travolta and Preston concerning the circumstances of their son's death.
One of the men, Obie Wilchcombe, a member of the
Bahamian Parliament
The Parliament of the Bahamas is the bicameral national parliament of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The parliament is formally made up of the sovereign (represented by the governor-general), an appointed Senate, and an elected House of Assemb ...
and former Bahamian Minister of Tourism, was described as a "close friend" of Travolta and Preston.
Two others allegedly involved were an
EMT named Tarino Lightbourne and a Bahamian senator named
Pleasant Bridgewater. Bridgewater was charged with
abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort and resigned from the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
as a result of the allegations.
The first trial ended in a mistrial. After a second jury had been selected, the Travoltas elected to drop the case and all charges against the defendants were dismissed.
Death
On July 12, 2020, Preston died at the age of 57 at her home in
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...
,
two years after she had been diagnosed with
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
.
Her diagnosis was not widely publicized.
Preston had been receiving treatment at the
MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers ...
in Houston; she had also been treated at other medical centers.
Her death was announced in an
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post under an account belonging to John Travolta and Ella Bleu.
Filmography
Film
Television
Web
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Kelly
1962 births
2020 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Honolulu
American adoptees
American expatriates in Australia
American female models
American film actresses
American Scientologists
American television actresses
Deaths from breast cancer
Deaths from cancer in Florida
People educated at Pembroke School, Adelaide
People from Islesboro, Maine
Punahou School alumni
Travolta family
USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni