{"id":65456,"date":"2020-07-14T01:37:19","date_gmt":"2020-07-14T01:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=65456"},"modified":"2020-07-14T01:54:04","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T01:54:04","slug":"john-travolta-lost-first-love-diana-hyland-breast-cancer-43-years-kelly-preston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=65456","title":{"rendered":"John Travolta lost first love Diana Hyland to breast cancer 43 years before Kelly Preston"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kelly Preston\u2019s\u00a0death from breast cancer\u00a0Sunday was a tragic end to her 29-year marriage to John Travolta, which bore three children: Ella Bleu, Benjamin and the late Jett, who died in 2009 of a seizure.<\/p>\n

Preston\u2019s passing at 57 is, sadly, not the first time 66-year-old Travolta has lost a significant other to breast cancer.<\/p>\n

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In 1977, actress Diana Hyland, who the actor had been seriously dating for a year, died of the very same cause. At 41, she was 18 years older than 23-year-old Travolta, and somewhat scandalously played his mother in the TV movie \u201cThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as the cameras rolled, Travolta was smitten.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was in love before \u2014 but I wasn\u2019t,\u201d\u00a0Travolta told People magazine\u00a0in 1977. \u201cFrom the moment I met her, I was attracted. We were like two maniacs talking all the time on the set of \u2018Bubble\u2019. After a month it became romantic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hyland never had the career her young superstar boyfriend would go on to enjoy. Already the star of TV\u2019s \u201cWelcome Back, Kotter,\u201d Travolta would make \u201cSaturday Night Fever\u201d in 1977 and the iconic movie-musical \u201cGrease\u201d in 1978 \u2014 a stretch of extreme success he\u2019d never again repeat.<\/p>\n\n

At the time of her death, Hyland was mostly known for TV roles such as \u201cPeyton Place\u201d and \u201cEight is Enough.\u201d She also had one significant Broadway part, playing Heavenly in Tennessee Williams\u2019 \u201cSweet Bird of Youth\u201d opposite Paul Newman. Still, she was a well-regarded actress that many believe would\u2019ve done great things.<\/p>\n

Hyland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977, and despite undergoing a mastectomy, her prognosis got worse. Dedicated til the end, Travolta was with Hyland when she died, telling People he \u201cfelt the breath go out of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n