John Travolta and Kelly Preston shared the red carpet with their daughter Ella Bleu and commdian Robin Williams for the launch of their comedy “Old Dogs.” It was a bittersweet moment, the first public appearance by the Travoltas since the death of their son.
Father John called his dauther a “pro” and she told E! Entertainment, jokingly, she was so glad to learn her parents would be in the film.
Co-star Williams also praised the young actress. “She’s got the chops. She grew up around it…She comes from great stock.”
Robin told E! that for Ella Bleu, landing this role was “almost a cinematic equivalent of a debutante ball.”
The premier was the first public appearance since the death of the Travolta’s son Jett, 16, who died from a seizure will on a family vacation in the Bahamas.
Williams said he did his best to keep things light on the set.
“There was one time where I got giggles so bad, that it almost delayed shooting,” said Kelly.
“Everybody was so funny, it was hard to keep my face straight,” Ella added.
In the movie, a divorcee (Williams) and a bachelor (Travolta) are handed six-year-old twins played by Ella and Conner Rayburn.
Both men are successful sports marketers and the twins arrive just as they are about to make the business deal of their lives.
They suddenly must balance business with family, which puts them in a paradoxical position, and sets the stage for comedic mayhem.
Their lives become filled with obstacles, making them reevaluate their priorities in life.
Also starring Seth Green, Rita Wilson, and Matt Dillon. ‘Old Dogs’ will be in theaters on November 25.
For the Travolta’s the premier was bittersweet.
They are still grieving over the death of his son, Jett, and have turned to daily therapy sessions to help him cope with the harsh reality of his son’s passing.
The “Pulp Fiction’ star’s” eldest child died after suffering a seizure during a holiday in the Bahamas in January. Since then, he’s been undergoing religious counselling with his family to help them work through the tragedy.
John, 55, and wife Kelly Preston, 47, follow the controversial cult-religion, Scientology. Some critics blamed the church for contributing to Jett’s death because it does not acknowledge mental illnesses such as autism in its teachings and is against the use of drugs to treat such conditions.
But the Travolta’s have remained close to the church. “We’ve been working very hard every day as a family to heal. We have our own way of doing it, and it has been helping.”
