With a Hollywood run spanning decades, it is not surprising that John Travolta has a dating profile comprising some of the most breath-taking women in the industry.
John Travolta may have seen his fair share of gay scandals, but there’s no denying that he spent over thirty years of his life dedicated to one woman, his late wife, Kelly Preston.
The two tied the knot in 1991, years after their first meeting. They went on to spend the next thirty years of their lives as each other’s companions, even welcoming three children.
Sadly, their love story met an untimely demise following Preston’s passing in 2020 after a battle with breast cancer. John Travolta has since dedicated his time to caring for their two surviving kids, with hardly any time to soar the dating pool.
In fact, the actor’s love life has barely been in the spotlight since his wife’s demise. This leaves many wondering if perhaps his romantic side was non-existent. Nonetheless, the star has experienced his fair share of past relationships to last a lifetime.
John Travolta’s dating history comprises some iconic females in Hollywood. Then again, who is to expect less from the legendary actor who won the admiration of the iconic Princess Diana many years back? That said, let’s look into some of the amazing women Travolta has been linked to since his rise to fame.
1. Anita Gillette And John Travolta, Dated In 1976
John Travolta met Broadway actress Anita Gillette at the onset of his Hollywood career and developed a strong connection, enough to build a relationship.
They briefly dated from June 1976 to September of that year. Details about their short-lived relationship remain scarce. However, the two would eventually move on to new love interests, with Gillette marrying Armand Coullet while the actor met his first true love.
2. Diana Hyland And John Travolta Began Dating In 1976
John Travolta has openly described Diana Hyland as his first true love. He began dating the actress in 1976, shortly after calling it quits with Gillette. They met while playing mother and son in his first TV film, “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.”
At the time, the actor was only 23, while Hyland was 41. Despite their eighteen-year age gap, the pair fell for one another. They made their relationship work, letting love lead them in the months that followed. The “Grease” actor once said of their romance:
“I thought I was in love before, but I wasn’t. From the moment I met her, I was attracted. We were like two maniacs talking all the time on the set of Bubble.’ After a month, it became romantic. I had more fun with Diana than I ever had in my life.”
John Travolta admitted that before meeting his girlfriend, he never thought he would ever have a successful relationship. Hyland admitted she thought the same as well. As fate would have it, their paths crossed in the nick of time.
Sadly, the couple faced their worst fears after Hyland received her cancer diagnosis. She passed away in March 1977, in her lover’s company, following a tough battle with breast cancer.
3. Marilu Henner
One year after losing Hyland to breast cancer, John Travolta began dating another co-star, Marilu Henner. The two met while starring in the 1974 musical “Over Here!”
However, they did not become romantically involved until 1978, during Henner’s stint in the sitcom, “Taxi.” They reportedly dated on and off from 1978 to 1989.
4. Catherine Deneuve And Brooke Shields Popped Up In John Travolta’s Dating History
During his relationship with Henner, John Travolta was occasionally linked to other high-profile women, including French actress Catherine Deneuve, and Brooke Shields, the stunning American actress and model.
He reportedly dated Deneuve in 1980, while his relationship with Brooke Shield lasted for about eight months in 1981.
However, the “supposed” former couple have clarified that their relationship remained platonic, as Shields was only a teenager at the time, while the “Face/Off” star was nearly thirty.
5. Kelly Preston
Preston and Travolta met on the set of the eighties movie, “The Experts.” Then the actress was still married to actor Kevin Gage, while the Hollywood heartthrob was dating Deneuve.
However, the two developed an attraction for each other, ultimately breaking things off with their respective partners. In 1990, they became engaged, tying the knot a year later.
In 1992, John Travolta and Kelly Preston welcomed their first child, Jett, who was autistic. Eight years later, the couple became parents again with the arrival of their daughter, Ella.
Tragedy struck the family in 2009, when Jett passed away after suffering a seizure, hitting his head, in a bathtub and tragically drowning during a family trip to the Bahamas. His death at sixteen left a void in his family’s hearts.
Thankfully, they managed to fill a part of that void a year later by welcoming another son, Benjamin Travolta. In 2020 the family suffered another loss when John Travolta’s wife died, following a secret battle with breast cancer.
Who Is John Travolta Dating Now?
Years after losing his wife of thirty years, John Travolta does not appear to be dating anyone. Rather, he remains focused on raising his two children Ella and Benjamin while pursuing his career.
Notwithstanding, John Travolta has shown some strong chemistry with several of his onscreen love interests, including “Grease” co-star Olivia-Newton John, who died of breast cancer in August 2022.
Additionally, he has been embroiled in some controversial romantic scandals over the years. Claims of his same-sex relationships with the likes of Paul Barresi and Doug Gotterba have surfaced.
He has also been plagued with allegations of sexual harassment against men, most of which landed him in fierce legal battles. However, John Travolta has strongly denied the allegations, also debunking claims that he was gay.