Ella Bleu Travolta has spent most of her life being introduced as John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s daughter. But at 26, she is increasingly stepping into a spotlight of her own.
On October 4, 2026, Ella reached a major fashion milestone when she walked in Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week. Dressed in an oversized forest-green blazer, patterned blouse, relaxed navy trousers and an unexpectedly casual pair of flip-flops, Ella looked worlds away from the little girl once photographed between her famous parents. People.com
And while the unconventional footwear immediately attracted attention, so did something much more personal: fans have long debated whether the grown-up Ella resembles her late mother, Kelly Preston, or her famous father more.
The Little Girl Fans Remember Is Now 26
Born on April 3, 2000, Ella grew up in one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families.
Her father had already become an international star through movies including Saturday Night Fever, Grease and Pulp Fiction. Her mother, Kelly Preston, was a successful actress known for films such as Twins, Jerry Maguire and For Love of the Game.
For years, Ella appeared beside them at premieres and other public events.
Those childhood photographs have become particularly poignant today.
With her long brunette hair and bright smile, young Ella often stood between John and Kelly while photographers captured the family together.
Today, the transformation is striking.
Ella isn’t merely attending premieres with her father anymore.
She’s walking the runway herself.
Her Paris Debut Came With a Surprisingly Casual Detail
Paris Fashion Week is associated with dramatic couture, elaborate footwear and carefully constructed styling.
So Ella’s shoes stood out.
Miu Miu sent her down the runway wearing flip-flops with an oversized green blazer, patterned top and loose navy trousers accented by a red stripe. Her brunette hair was swept into a deliberately messy updo, while her makeup remained soft and understated. Us
The footwear wasn’t an accidental last-minute choice.
It fit the broader idea behind Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, which played with ordinary clothing and sportswear, deliberately mixing everyday pieces with high-fashion styling. The Guardian
Suddenly, flip-flops on a Paris runway didn’t seem quite so strange.
Ella Was Surrounded by Some Very Famous Faces
Ella wasn’t the only unexpected celebrity on the Miu Miu runway.
The show’s eclectic cast included model Gigi Hadid as well as actors Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin, Jamie Bell, Noah Jupe and Louisa Jacobson. Vogue
For Ella, however, the appearance carried special significance.
It was her first time modeling on a Paris Fashion Week runway. Vogue Italia
And she looked remarkably composed while doing it.
But It Was Her Resemblance to Her Parents That Got People Talking
As new photographs circulated, viewers inevitably began comparing Ella’s features with those of her parents.
Some see John immediately, particularly around the lower half of her face and jawline.
Others insist she increasingly resembles Kelly.
Neither comparison is something that can be objectively measured — family resemblance is inherently subjective — but Ella clearly inherited features that remind fans of both parents.
In some photographs, her dark hair and facial structure bring John to mind.
In others, especially when she smiles, viewers have remarked on similarities to Kelly.
The comparisons became particularly emotional after Kelly’s death.
Losing Her Mother Changed Everything
Kelly Preston died on July 12, 2020, at 57 after a private two-year battle with breast cancer.
Ella was only 20.
John announced the devastating news publicly, explaining that Kelly had chosen to keep her treatment private.
For Ella, it meant losing her mother just as she was entering adulthood.
It wasn’t the family’s first devastating loss.
In January 2009, Ella’s older brother, Jett, died at only 16 after suffering a seizure while the family was vacationing in the Bahamas.
Ella was eight years old.
John and Kelly later welcomed another son, Benjamin, in 2010.
Those losses have inevitably shaped the Travolta family’s story.
RARE PHOTOS Show Ella’s Resemblance to Kelly, Too
Recent images have led plenty of observers to make another comparison.
Kelly Preston.
At Cannes in May 2026, Ella appeared beside John with her brunette hair styled in a voluminous blowout.
Photographs from the festival highlighted just how much Ella’s features have matured.
Some outlets specifically remarked that she looked like her late mother’s “mini-me” during her Paris Fashion Week appearance. ¡HOLA!
The similarity feels particularly poignant because Kelly never got to see this chapter of her daughter’s career.
Ella Has Honored Her Mother Through Music
Rather than speaking about grief constantly, Ella has sometimes expressed it through her creative work.
Music became one of those outlets.
Her song “Little Bird” was inspired by her relationship with her mother, turning deeply personal memories into something she could share publicly.
John supported the project enthusiastically.
That encouragement has become a recurring feature of their father-daughter relationship.
Whether Ella is acting, singing or modeling, John rarely hides how proud he is.
John and Ella Have Become an Especially Close Pair
Since Kelly’s death, John and Ella have frequently accompanied each other to major events.
Their Cannes appearances in 2026 were among the clearest examples.
Ella joined her father while promoting Propeller One-Way Night Coach, a project that carried another unusual family connection: John directed it, and Ella acted in it. Vogue Italia
The images from Cannes showed a grown-up Ella standing confidently beside her father rather than simply following him onto the carpet.
That distinction may seem small, but it captures how much has changed.
She Started Acting When She Was Still a Child
Ella’s interest in entertainment didn’t suddenly appear at 26.
She made an early screen appearance in the 2009 comedy Old Dogs, acting alongside her father and Robin Williams.
Years later, she appeared in the 2019 thriller The Poison Rose, which also starred John.
But Ella’s interests have never been limited to acting.
She has pursued music and, increasingly, fashion.
Her Paris appearance suggests she may be serious about combining all three.
Paris Wasn’t Actually Her First Runway
Although the Miu Miu show marked Ella’s Paris Fashion Week debut, she had modeled on a major runway before.
In September 2022, she walked during New York Fashion Week for Karl Lagerfeld’s “Cara Loves Karl” collection. People.com
That makes the wording important.
Paris was a debut — but not Ella’s first-ever runway.
Four years later, however, she returned to modeling on a much bigger international stage.
And this time she shared the runway with some of fashion and entertainment’s biggest names.
Her After-Party Look Was Completely Different
After walking the show, Ella swapped her runway outfit for something considerably more polished.
She wore a sage-colored suit with a contrasting brown collar, straight trousers and pointed black heels, completing the outfit with a brown leather handbag.
Her hair was styled into a bun, and her makeup was slightly more defined than on the runway. Us
Taken together, the two looks showed two very different sides of her developing fashion identity.
One was deliberately relaxed and unconventional.
The other was classic and tailored.
Ella Is Creating a Career Beyond Her Famous Last Name
Being John Travolta’s daughter guarantees attention.
There’s no way around that.
But Ella has increasingly used that attention to pursue projects of her own.
She’s acted.
She’s released music.
She’s modeled.
And she has said she hopes fashion can remain part of her career while she continues focusing on acting. Vogue Italia
That’s why the Paris runway matters more than the flip-flops or comparisons to her parents.
It represents another step toward being recognized simply as Ella.
The Before-and-After Photos Tell a Bigger Story
Looking at Ella’s childhood photographs beside the newest images from Paris is almost startling.
The little brunette girl once tucked between John Travolta and Kelly Preston is now 26.
Her mother is gone.
Her older brother is gone.
Her father remains one of her biggest supporters.
And Ella herself has moved from accompanying Hollywood stars on red carpets to becoming the person photographers are waiting to capture.
Whether fans think she inherited John’s jawline, Kelly’s smile or some combination of both is ultimately subjective.
What isn’t subjective is how much her life has changed.
On October 4, Ella walked onto a Paris runway in an oversized blazer and a pair of flip-flops — an unconventional outfit for an unconventional milestone.
And for the first time at Paris Fashion Week, John Travolta wasn’t the star of the family’s photographs. His daughter was.
Sources: people.com, vogue.com, vogue.it, usmagazine.com, eonline.com, hola.com
For more on Ella’s stunning transformation, check out these RARE PHOTOS showing her through the years. And for other intriguing stories, you might enjoy learning about Karoline Leavitt’s new role at Fox News or the engagement of FBI Director Kash Patel.
