What was Kelly Preston’s net worth?
Kelly Preston, an American actress and former model, had a net worth of $180 million at the time of her death. She shared this fortune with her husband, actor John Travolta, with whom she was married for three decades. The majority of their wealth came from John’s successful career in the entertainment industry.
Kelly passed away on July 12, 2020, at the age of 57, after battling breast cancer. She was known for her roles in popular movies such as “Mischief” (1985), “Space Camp” (1986), “Twins” (1988), and “Jerry Maguire” (1996).
Early Life and Career
Kelly Kamalelehua Smith, later known as Kelly Preston, was born on October 13, 1962 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother worked in mental health administration and her father worked for an agricultural company until he passed away when Preston was three. Her mother later remarried and had another son, Chris. Preston spent her childhood living in various locations around the world including Hawaii, Iraq, and Australia.
At age 16, Preston was discovered by a fashion photographer while living in Australia. She began booking work in commercials and changed her last name to Preston. She graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu, HI in 1980 and attended the University of Southern California where she studied drama and theater.
Kelly Preston’s Acting Career
Kelly Preston began auditioning for television and film roles in her early 20s while living in California. Her first prominent role was as Marilyn McCauley in the 1985 film “Mischief,” followed by “Secret Admirer” and “SpaceCamp” in 1986. She appeared in “Twins” in 1988 and “Jerry Maguire” in 1996.
Preston’s career was busy in the second half of the 1990s. She starred in “For Love of the Game” with Kevin Costner, worked with Eddie Murphy and Jeff Goldblum in “Holy Man,” appeared in “Nothing to Lose” with Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins, and had a role in “Jack Frost” in 1998.
She played the on-screen girlfriend of her husband John Travolta’s character in the 2000 film “Battlefield Earth,” which earned her a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. In 2004, she appeared in the Maroon 5 music video “She Will Be Loved” and played a superhero mother in “Sky High” in 2005.
Preston appeared in the crime thriller “Death Sentence” in 2007 and had a recurring role in the television series “Medium.” She starred in the Lifetime original television film “The Tenth Circle” in 2008 and appeared in episodes of “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” in 2010 and “CSI: Cyber” in 2016.
Preston’s later years were marked by fewer acting roles. She appeared in advertising campaigns for skincare brand Neutrogena as one of their spokesmodels. Her final film appearance was in the 2021 comedy-drama “Off the Rails.”
Marriages and Family
In 1985, Kelly Preston married actor Kevin Gage, but they divorced two years later in 1987. She then dated George Clooney before getting engaged to Charlie Sheen in 1990. However, their engagement was short-lived after Sheen accidentally shot Preston in the wrist.
While filming “The Experts” in the late 1980s, Preston began dating co-star John Travolta. They got married in 1991 at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, but had a second ceremony in Florida a week later to make it legal. The couple had three children together: Jett, Ella, and Benjamin.
Tragically, Jett died in 2009 while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas. He had a history of seizures and was diagnosed with autism. Preston and Travolta alleged that there was an extortion attempt related to their son’s death involving members of the Bahamian government, resulting in a trial. However, the charges against the defendants were eventually dismissed after a mistrial.
Kelly Preston’s Battle with Breast Cancer
Kelly Preston was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 55 and sought treatment for two years. Despite keeping the news private, she ultimately lost the battle to cancer and passed away on July 12, 2020 in Clearwater, Florida.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s Real Estate Portfolio
In 1993, John and Kelly purchased a 2.35-acre home in LA’s Brentwood neighborhood for $3.5 million. The property features an 8,100 square-foot main house, 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a tennis court, playground and large swimming pool. In January 2020, they sold the home to next door neighbor Scooter Braun for $18 million.
John and Kelly also maintain a $2.65 million LA home in Calabasas which was purchased in September 2019.
Outside of LA, the Travoltas own a 50-acre estate in Maine, a mansion in Clearwater, Florida near the headquarters of Scientology and a very unique home in Ocala, Florida in a neighborhood called the Jumbolair Aviation Estates. This neighborhood is a working private airport for large planes. John and Kelly were some of the first land purchasers in the development. The runway is large enough for John, an avid aviator, to operate his Boeing 707 from the property.
