Kelly Preston, actress and wife of John Travolta, has died aged 57.
Travolta has posted on Instagram to say Preston had lost her lengthy fight against breast cancer.
Alongside a photograph of her, he wrote: "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.
"My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Centre, all the medical centres that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side.
"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. All my love, JT".
Her daughter Ella Bleu also took to Instagram: "I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy. Thank you for being there for me no matter what. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help and thank you for making this world a better place. You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama."
Preston was born and raised in Hawaii, but she discovered Vegemite when, as a 14-year-old, she moved to Adelaide.
"I loved Australia," she said.
"My parents had just separated, they were getting divorced, and some friends of ours from Australia very spontaneously said 'Come here, come stay with us'.
"We said 'OK, we'll go for a couple of months', and we stayed for two years and have so many great memories.
"I went to a school called Pembroke. I loved it.
"I made such good friends. When I left Hawaii, I was thrilled to be going on a short trip but, when I knew we were going to stay there for two years, I was missing my family.
"But by the time I left Australia, I was crying, I had a big group of friends at the airport and I had made such great friends I found it was really hard to leave."
During Preston's daily school tuckshop visits, she became hooked on Vegemite and other Aussie fare including lamingtons, pasties and pies.
Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris in 1991 while the couple were expecting their first son Jett.
In 2009, Jett Travolta, 16, died after a seizure at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas. The death touched off a court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $US25 million ($A36 million) from the actors, threatening to release sensitive information about the death.
Preston and Travolta, who met while filming 1988's "The Experts", had one other child, son Benjamin in 2010.
They last starred together in 2018's "Gotti," with Travolta playing John Gotti and Preston as wife Victoria.
Other film roles included "Jerry Maguire", playing Tom Cruise's fiancee, and "Holy Man" with Eddie Murphy".
Australian Associated Press
