Kelly Preston credits Scientology & auditing with getting her through son's death

[Laurent]

Kelly Preston: "Nobody Should Have to Lose a Child"

Celebrity Moms
May 14, 2012 AT 3:40PM
By Zach Johnson


Kelly Preston
Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

To say Kelly Preston has had a tough few years is an understatement.

The actress, 49, and her husband John Travolta, 58, lost their son Jett in January 2009 while vacationing in The Bahamas; the 16-year-old's death was attributed to a seizure. During an interview on Lifetime's The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet Thursday, Preston opened up about the tragedy that forever changed their family.

"I've had enormous loss. Nobody should have to lose a child. It's unfathomable," The Experts actress said. "But I'm here to say that you can get through it. You can live again. You can want to live again."

Preston credited her family, friends and faith for giving her the courage to move forward.

"People were so beautiful -- so, so extraordinary from all over the world," she said. "Everybody grieves in their own way. I felt at times like I was drowning. It felt like a sea of wet blankets. And then I just peeled them off, layer by layer, so that I can now say, 'I want to live. I love life. My life is beautiful and amazing."


Kelly Preston with children Ella and Jett Travolta.
Credit: Rogers and Cowan via Getty Images

Preston continued: "In Scientology, we have what's called 'auditing,' and that helps you to address things in your life and to strip them away and work through them. It's a path of spiritual enlightenment. Also, it helps rid the mind of painful experience completely. Through that, the people at my church literally held my hand and got me through. . .I will forever be indebted. You never forget, but I feel like the weight of the world was lifted."

"There are still things that come up, for sure, but I am able to live. And to want to live," Preston said. "I can laugh. I'm -- for the most part -- happy. That's the greatest gift ever."

On November 23, 2010, Preston and Travolta -- married since 1991 -- welcomed their third child, son Benjamin Hunter Kaleo. (Daughter Ella Bleu was born April 3, 2000.)

"Having another child after this experience -- we had to think about it, especially this late in life," Preston said. "I always wanted to have more kids. I feel like I would even have another child, but it might be pushing it."

"I'm not afraid to love and to love deeply. My kids help me with that. They open up your heart so much," Preston said. "There's nothing like the love of a child . . . it's the greatest thing ever."

The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet airs Thursdays at 11 p.m. EST on Lifetime.

Read more: Kelly Preston: "Nobody Should Have to Lose a Child" - UsMagazine.com

[McJag]

Hmm. So one is out & one stays in. This won't go down well.

[fgg]

is this kelly's way of fighting for CO$ while john's fighting against them?

[nancydrew]

Looks like sides have been chosen and gauntlets have been thrown!

[witchcurlgirl]

How long until she's preggers with twins to prove how hetero hubs is?

[LynnieD]

Tom Cruise is out saying shit too. Mostly because he has a movie to promote, but obviously its also to counteract all this other negative stuff for the 'church'.






What better place to bare all – even as one's 50th birthday approaches – than in the pages of Playboy?

Tom Cruise, who hits the half-century mark in July, sat down for a candid and lengthy Q&A that appears in the magazine's June issue, on newsstands May 18. PEOPLE has been provided an exclusive first look.

Asked why he "sued over some particularly personal things that have been written about you and your family," Cruise tells Playboy, "They know I mean it, that if I have to, I will sue."

He also says, "Does refuting things help? Not really. There comes a point when you just have to go, 'You know what? Here's how I've lived my life: I've never been late to a set. I make films I believe in. I feel privileged to be able to do what I love.' You just have to keep going and remember that."

As for the gossip, "I hear it, I read it, I get it." he says, "But life is not a matter of trying to prove anything to anybody."

When the rumors go too far, however, he says, "You start with a letter saying, 'Okay, you know it's not true. Apologize.' But with certain ones you have to go, 'Okay, you crossed a line, and now you have the attention of my lawyers.' [laughs] When it involves your kids, you have to go, 'Here's the line.' "


Scientology in His Life


He also suggests he's in a no-win position when it comes to his discussing his belief in Scientology.

"If I don't talk about my religion, if I say I'm not discussing it or different humanitarian things I'm working on, they're like, 'He's avoiding it.' If I do talk about it, it becomes, 'Oh, he's proselytizing.' "

On attributing his success to Scientology, the actor, soon to be seen in Rock of Ages, says, "I have respect for what other people believe. What I believe in my own life is that it's a search for how I can do things better, whether it's being a better man or a better father or finding ways for myself to improve. Individuals have to decide what is true and real for them. I'm fortunate in the life I have."

Other topics? "I haven't, and I never would" have cosmetic surgery, he tells interviewer Michael Fleming, crediting his youthful look to the fact "I'm always with family. I train, go without sleep. I just go hard."

Katie Holmes, Cruise says, "is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity."

He describes his wife, and mother of their 6-year daughter, Suri, as "funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better. I'm a romantic. I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that. I don't know what to say – I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special."

Tom Cruise: 'I Hear It, I Read It, I Get It' : People.com

[hustle4alivin]

Side-eying and glaring these stories



I was on another forum where they were discussing this case and one poster said their grandmother was a scientologist in the 80's but left the church. However, the $cienos kept sending her mail and harassing her on the telephone on a constant basis up to the day she died (years later).

[LynnieD]

Side-eying and glaring these stories



I was on another forum where they were discussing this case and one poster said their grandmother was a scientologist in the 80's but left the church. However, the $cienos kept sending her mail and harassing her on the telephone on a constant basis up to the day she died (years later).

I think that was actually here---in the John Travolta thread, but I could be wrong.

[hustle4alivin]

I think that was actually here---in the John Travolta thread, but I could be wrong.

Yes, it was. Whoops:

My aunty was a member of the Co$ in the 80s for a few years and when she left, right up to the day she died in 2009, the church went through phases of harassing her with phone-calls and letters to her.

[LynnieD]

^^The reason I don't post at any other boards is because I cannot even keep THIS one straight! I don't know how people do it on multiple boards!

[MrsDark]

Kelly Preston and the CO$: Fuck you sideways. This kid would probably still be alive if it weren't for your evilcultbullshit.

[tulip]

Scientology got her through the death of her child that might not have happened if she hadn't been a Scientologist in the first place. Maybe they would have gotten the proper medical care for Jett and acknowledged exactly what was going on with him. Poor Jett.

[A*O]

She damn well should feel guilty about Jett's death. He had a lot of health issues which his parents refused to acknowledge publicly at least and that's not uncommon as its hard to admit to yourself your child isnt "perfect" let alone anyone else. However, Co$ is deeply hostile towards any kind of psych problem or disorder and actively discourages parents from seeking the appropriate help and she willingly complied.

Even with the very best care Jett could just as easily have had a seizure in the bathroom and lain there unnoticed for hours but I suspect his Co$bot minders were elsewhere channelling Xenu with his nutty mother.

Of course I don't condemn her for having a disabled child but I do hate her for denying there was a problem because her cult says there's no such thing and not getting him competent care. It's not like she can't afford it. But then again she's married to a blatant flamer which would probably drive me nuts too.

[louiswinthorpe111]

Katie Holmes, Cruise says, "is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity."

You mean, like getting dressed in the morning, because I've seen how this bitch dresses herself!

[faithanne]

"If I don't talk about my religion, if I say I'm not discussing it or different humanitarian things I'm working on

Scientology and humanitarianism are mutually exclusive terms. And I love how he slips in that he likes to keep a low profile about how he's SAVING THE WORLD. But he would never mention that of course.

Other topics? "I haven't, and I never would" have cosmetic surgery, he tells interviewer Michael Fleming, crediting his youthful look to the fact "I'm always with family. I train, go without sleep. I just go hard."

Yes because it's been proven that over-exercising and lack of sleep are very good in the fight against ageing.

Get back in your L Ron Cupboard Tommygirl.