Ella Bleu Travolta wants Hollywood to recognize her work beyond her famous surname, according to an unnamed family friend.
The 26-year-old actress, singer and model is the daughter of John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
The source discussed her professional ambitions in an October 11 report by the Daily Mail.
The outlet said it had contacted representatives for both Ella and her father. Its report included no on-the-record response from either to the claims about her career frustrations.
A Family Friend Says Acting Opportunities Have Been Limited
The friend described the reaction they said Ella often receives in Hollywood: “Huh? John Travolta’s kid?” The source welcomed her recent Miu Miu booking as an opportunity for people to notice her individual abilities.
“Ella really wants to prove herself,” the friend said, adding that acting opportunities had been limited despite her upbringing around movie productions.
The same source described music as a particular passion for Ella and claimed she had been frustrated by the response to her releases.
The friend also pointed to her Instagram audience, which the outlet put at approximately 748,000 followers at the time of publication, and suggested modeling could help her reach more people.
Ella Has Spoken About Auditioning and Making Her Own Decisions
In a May interview with Vogue Italia at Cannes, Ella said she was pursuing as many acting auditions as possible while writing music and seeking projects that reflected what she wanted to offer audiences.
Asked about the “nepo baby” label by Parade in March 2023, Ella said she was proud of her parents and emphasized “creating my own name for myself.”
She explained that John offered advice while encouraging her to reach her own conclusions. She could follow his suggestions or choose another direction with his support.
Her Miu Miu Booking Marked a Paris Runway Debut
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Ella walked in Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2027 show at the Palais d’Iéna on October 4. The Prada Group listed her among a cast that included Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin and Gigi Hadid.
Her agency, STORM LA, shared footage of the appearance the following day. It was her Paris Fashion Week runway debut, following a New York Fashion Week appearance for Karl Lagerfeld’s Cara Loves Karl collection in 2022.
Ella also told Vogue Italia she hoped fashion would remain part of her career and expressed an interest in designing clothes.
‘Little Bird’ Drew on Her Memories of Kelly Preston
Ella began releasing music with “Dizzy” in 2022. Her six-track debut EP, Colors of Love, arrived in November 2024 and included “Little Bird,” a tribute to her mother, who died of breast cancer in 2020.
In a September 2024 interview with American Songwriter, Ella discussed writing the song with Callum Maudsley around a conversation between a baby bird and its mother.
She explained that other people’s reactions to a public loss could make it harder to understand her own emotions. Songwriting helped her focus on the relationship she remembered, and she hoped listeners could find their own meaning in the music.
The accompanying video used childhood home movies featuring her parents and siblings. John helped produce the song, which was released on September 6, his wedding anniversary with Preston, ABC News reported.
She Helped Shape Her Father’s Directorial Debut
Ella’s screen credits include Old Dogs in 2009 and The Poison Rose in 2019. This year, she played flight attendant Doris in Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which John wrote, directed and co-produced from his 1997 children’s book.
The film premiered at Cannes before reaching Apple TV on May 29. It follows a young aviation enthusiast and his mother on a journey across the United States.
At its New York premiere, Ella told PEOPLE that John invited her into creative discussions throughout production. Her aunts and uncles also appeared in the film, and she recalled sharing meals with her father during breaks to discuss that day’s work.