John Travolta reveals how he explained death to his 10-year-old son after his wife Kelly Preston died

• John Travolta opened up about a conversation he had with his son after wife Kelly Preston's death.
• Travolta told Kevin Hart how he explained the unpredictable nature of death to 10-year-old Ben.
• He didn't sugarcoat the truth and recalled saying: "I could die tomorrow. You could. Anybody can."
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John Travolta shared on Kevin Hart's talk show "Hart to Heart" that he doesn't gloss over the truth when his 10-year-old son Ben asks about difficult subjects, including mortality.

Travolta recalled a conversation he had with his son after his wife Kelly Preston's death, where Ben admitted he was scared his dad would die too.

The "Grease" actor said he then told his son "the truth about life," candidly telling Ben, "I could die tomorrow. You could. Anyone can."

Travolta said he also told Ben that "nobody knows when they're going to go," and also addressed the death of Ben's older brother, Jett, who died almost two years before Ben was born.

"I said, 'Your brother [Jett] left at 16 – too young. Your mother left at 57, that was too young,'" the actor said, adding that since death is so unpredictable, it's better to view it as a "part of life" rather than to fear it.

"You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can," he added.

While he always tries to be honest and impart wisdom to his son, Travolta told Hart that there are plenty of instances where their roles flip and Ben passes some wisdom onto his dad too. This happened once when the pair were on a late-night walk and Ben asked what it felt like to be in his 60s.

The actor recalled telling his son in response, "You know what, Ben? I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm in the last chapter of my life. I can't believe it!" Travolta also noted that he felt "eternally 21" and couldn't comprehend being as old as he was.

Travolta's son asked him if he could remember 30 years ago and whether Travolta thinks he has "30 more years" of life in him. When he told his son he did think he had "at least" 30 more years, Ben then asked a simple question, according to Travolta: "What's wrong with that?"

"This is a 10-year-old telling me that. It changed my viewpoint," Travolta told Hart.

Travolta and Preston were married for 29 years and shared three children together: Jett, Ben, and 21-year-old Ella Bleu.

Travolta announced his wife's death on July 13, 2020, writing in a statement to press that Preston had "fought a courageous fight" against breast cancer "with the love and support of so many."

In May this year, Travolta paid tribute to Preston on the first Mother's Day since her death with a heartfelt social-media message.

A post shared by John Travolta (@johntravolta)

"Dearest Kelly, you brought into my life three of the most wonderful children I have ever known. Thank you. We love and miss you. Happy Mother's Day," the actor wrote on Instagram.