John Travolta Shares Video of Kids Celebrating First Christmas Since Death of Wife Kelly Preston

John Travolta celebrated the holidays at home with his kids this year, using Instagram to share a festive video of his kids, 20-year-old daughter Ella and 10-year-old son Ben. Travolta was behind the camera in the clip, which opened with Ella standing in front of a Christmas tree in her pajamas.

“Say Merry Christmas, Ella,” her dad implored her before asking Ben, who was sitting in a nearby chair, to give the camera a greeting. Both siblings complied, answering with “Merry Christmas” as they smiled and waved. “Merry Christmas from the Travolta family!” Travolta captioned the post. Ella shared an additional video on her own Instagram page, sharing a message for her followers.

“Before the night is over, I wanted to say goodnight and Merry Christmas,” she told the camera. “I hope you all had a beautiful day and I’m looking forward to the new year with all of you.”

This year was the family’s first Christmas without Travolta’s wife and the kids’ mom, Kelly Preston, who died in July after a private two-year battle with breast cancer. Travolta and Preston’s son Jett died in 2009 at age 16.

Travolta announced his wife’s death on Instagram, writing that he was sharing the news “with a very heavy heart.” “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,” he captioned a photo of Preston. “My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side. Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered.”

Travolta continued, “I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”

On Thanksgiving, he posted a video thanking fans for their support after Preston’s death. “I just want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in such an incredible way this year,” he said in the clip. “Happy Thanksgiving, and always love.”