‘She was a light!’ Kelly Preston’s brother speaks following star’s death at 57

Kelly Preston’s heartbroken brother Chris Palzis has paid tribute to his “warrior” sister, following her death from breast cancer. The actress and former model passed away on Sunday and had been secretly battling the disease for two years.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kelly’s younger half-brother Palzis said the family has been left “gutted” by her passing, and revealed they recently spent some time at the star’s bedside in Florida.

“We’re still really grieving so I don’t have anything eloquent to say right now,” he told the news outlet. Chris added: “We’re just all very gutted over this, if I had to say something that would pretty much summarize it.

“She was a light and she was a warrior and she’ll always be remembered for how she brought out the best in people. It’s heartbreaking. We just got back from her bedside in Florida. We were all together in Florida.”

Chris is the son of Kelly’s mother Linda and her second husband Peter Palzis. Kelly’s own father passed away when she was just three years old, and she was subsequently adopted by Palzis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCkgCG5ptxE/?utm_source=ig_embed

Travolta confirmed the news on Monday (AEST) and shared a poignant tribute to his “beautiful wife” on social media. “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,” the Grease star said.

“She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. 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. 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. All my love.”

The Jerry Maguire and Twins star is survived by her husband of almost three decades John Travolta and their children Ella, 20, and Benjamin, nine. The couple lost son Jett in January 2009 at the age of 16, after he suffered a massive seizure while the family were enjoying their Christmas vacation in the Bahamas.