The Untold Truth Of Kelly Preston's Ex-Husband, Kevin Gage
Family, friends and fans are mourning the loss of actress Kelly Preston. On July 13, 2020, her husband of nearly 30 years, John Travolta, took to Instagram to share that Preston had passed away. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer," read the caption. "She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many."
After tying the knot in 1991, per People, Travolta and Preston went on to have three children: Ella Bleu, Benjamin, and their late son, Jett, who died in 2009 at the age of 16, per The Sun.
Surprisingly, Travolta was not the Jerry McGuire star's first husband. Preston was married to actor Kevin Gage from 1985 until 1987, according to the Chicago Tribune. Prior to their divorce, the two worked together on the 1986 flick SpaceCamp. However, Gage's scenes were ultimately cut from the movie prior to it's release, per the actor's official website.
Despite the fact that his role was cut out of SpaceCamp, Gage has actually had a fairly successful career in the entertainment industry, but a very complicated and tragic personal life.
Kevin Gage lost the mother of his son almost six years to the day that Kelly Preston died
Despite his run-ins with the law over the years, Kevin Gage's acting career hasn't taken a huge hit. In April 2008, the Heat actor caught some heat when he was "arrested for drug possession in Annapolis, Md.," per TMZ. According to the outlet, after police "found Gage in the act of smoking a hand-rolled marijuana joint" at a party there were called to, the actor was "cited and released on his own recognizance." In addition to that arrest, TMZ reported that "Gage previously served 2.5 years in a federal pen for growing marijuana."
Gage continued working following his prison stint with little pause on his resume. While he is perhaps best known for his roles in the 1997 film G.I. Jane and the 1989 film The 'Burbs, the Wisconsin native has more than 60 credits under his belt. As of this writing, he has three projects in post-production — The Owl in Echo Park, Hustle Down, and Escape from Black Water – and one in pre-production titled The Italy Boys.
From 2007 until 2012, the actor took some time off to care for his son, Ryder Jay Gage, per his official website. On July 13, 2014, the father of one lost the mother of his son, Shannon Butcher, according to the Santa Barbara Independent. Six years later on almost the exact same date, his first wife, Kelly Preston, passed away following her battle with breast cancer. Given the tragic connection, Preston's death surely hit home in many ways.