Kirstie Alley’s love forJohn Travoltadidn’t stop her from respecting his wifeKelly Preston.
Alley, whodied Monday at age 71after recently beingdiagnosed with colon cancer, had previously been open about the allegedmutual affection between herself and Travolta, 68, which began in the late ’80s around the time they starred in 1989’sLook Who’s Talking.
The two wouldgo on to appear togetherin two sequels,released in 1990and 1993, while Travolta married Preston in 1991. Alley wasmarried to Parker Stevensonat the time the films were made; the two tied the knot in 1983, but later divorced in 1997. Travolta and Preston, meanwhile, were married until Prestondied of breast cancer in 2020at age 57.
Back in 2018, Alley admitted that shecontinued flirting with Travoltaeven after he married Preston — that is, until Preston herself put an end to it.
“Kelly came up to me, and they were married then, and she said, ‘Erm, why are you flirting with my husband?’ " theCheersalum said on theDan Wootton Interviewpodcast. “And that was sort of when I had to make a decision and that was pretty much the end of that.”
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Kirstie Alley and John Travolta in 1989.Jim Smeal/Ron Galella collection/getty
Alley previously toldHoward Sternin 2013 that she never felt about anyone the way she felt about Travolta, alleging the feelings were mutual.
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“It took me years to not look at John as a romantic interest,” she said, adding that he was"the greatest love of my life.”
TheIt Takes Twoactress also revealed to Stern, 68, that Preston would not hesitate to “bust” her when she would flirt with Travolta. “She would be, like, ‘Are you flirting with my husband?’ And the answer was, ‘Yes,’ " Alley recalled.
Kirstie Alley, John Travolta and Kelly Preston in 2007.Kevin Winter/Getty
In the end, Alley was glad she and Travolta never acted on anything romantic between them. “John and I would have devoured each otherbecause John and I are so alike,” she said on theDan Wootton Interviewpodcast. “It would be like two blazing stars that just fizzled out.”
Alley ultimately became a close friend of both fellow Scientologists Travolta and Preston. She was evenpresent at the hospitalduring the birth of the couple’s now-12-year-old sonBen, and joined Preston for an anti-drug campaign back in 2005.
Months before her death, Prestoncelebrated her 57th birthdayin October 2019, sharing a photo of herself on a yacht with her husband, their daughterElla Bleu Travoltaand some of their closest friends, including Alley.
In the statement announcing Alley’s death Monday, herchildren Lillie, 28, and True, 30, began, “We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother haspassed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered.” A rep for the actress told PEOPLEthat she had colon cancerprior to her death.
Reacting to the loss, Travolta shared athrowback photo of Alleyand added another of them smiling at one another. He wrote, “Kirstie was one of themost special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”
source: people.com
