John Travolta marked a bittersweet occasion on social media this week.
In honor of what would have been his eldest child’s 30th birthday, the actor posted a throwback photo of himself alongside his late son and shared a brief and touching message.
"My dearest Jetty, I miss you more than words can say," the 68-year-old wrote in an Instagram post. "I think about you everyday. Happy Birthday. Love, your Dad"
Jett, who had a history of seizures throughout his life, suffered a fatal one at the age of 16, during a 2009 vacation at the family’s home in the Bahamas.
Travolta has long made a habit of remembering Jett on social media on his special day, a tradition he shared with his wife, and Jett’s mother, Kelly Preston, until her death from breast cancer in 2020.
In her final tribute to Jett, shared just three months before she died, Preston posted a photo of her holding her son in her arms as they both smiled.
“Happy Birthday to our sweetest Jetty,” she wrote. “We love you!! 💖✨”
In another message shared days before that one, for World Autism Awareness Day, Preston described Jett, who had autism, as “one of the most playful and wonderful souls you’ve ever met.”
Jett was the first born of three children for Travolta and Preston. The couple went on to have a daughter, Ella, now 22, and another son, Benjamin, 11.