Kelly Preston Dead: What to Know About Her Private Battle With Breast Cancer

At the age of 57, Kelly Preston died Sunday following a battle with cancer. An actress in titles such as Mischief, SpaceCamp, Jerry Maguire, What a Girl Wants, and For Love of the Game, Preston’s battle had not previously been disclosed until her husband, John Travolta, confirmed her passing Sunday evening.

Preston held a decades-long acting career that began in the early ’80s with appearances on TV shows such as Hawaii Five-O and Capitol. It gained momentum after she landed the role of Marilyn McCauley in 1985’s Mischief, with Preston going on to appear in a number of other high-profile roles in the years that followed. Her last credit was in 2018’s Gotti. In June of that year, she was photographed while attending the premiere for the film, marking the last time she had been photographed publicly at a major event.

Although details of Preston’s battle remain scarce, a representative for the Travolta family confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that she had “been undergoing medical treatment for some time.” The statement added that the family had chosen “to keep her fight private,” having not previously disclosed to the public that she was battling an illness. It is unknown when she was diagnosed. Confirming her death Sunday evening, Preston’s husband revealed that she had been battling the disease for at least two years. He said that she “fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”

According to Travolta, his wife had been receiving treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as several other medical facilities. Located in Houston, Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center “is one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention,” according to the facility’s website. The center’s mission is to “eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.”

Preston passed away Sunday at the age of 57. In his post, Travolta thanked the medical professionals who had cared for her throughout her battle as well as “her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side.” He wrote that “Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered.”

Travolta and Preston were married for nearly 30 years, starting when Travolta proposed on New Year’s Eve in 1990. The couple married on Sept. 15, 1991, when Preston was two months pregnant with their oldest son, Jett. Jett died in January of 2009 at the age of 16. Travolta and Preston also share 20-year-old Ella and 9-year-old Benjamin.