John Travolta and Kelly Preston 'Overjoyed' With New Baby Benjamin

Nov. 28, 2010— -- Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston took to Travolta's website earlier this week to announce the birth of their 8-pound, 3-ounce son, Benjamin Travolta.

"We are overjoyed to announce the arrival of our son, Ella's baby brother, Benjamin Travolta. Born November23, 2010 in Florida, Benjamin is healthy and doing beautifully. Thank you for the congratulations messages and wishes -- we are beyond happy about the newest addition to our family," the family said in the message.

Some famous friends of the happy couple spoke with People magazine this week about how elated they are with for Travolta and Preston.

We are completely overjoyed about the birth of Benjamin," says Keisha Whitaker, a film producer and wife of actor Forest Whitaker, who have been friends of the couple for years. "We love them so much. This feels like full circle."Producer Donald Zuckerburg, who has worked closely with Preston on a number of projects, including the upcoming movie Casino Jack, spoke to the magazine about her experience giving birth at 48.

"She was very much looking forward to having the baby. She hadn't experienced any sickness," Zuckerman said. "She is a magnificent person -- fun, nice, upbeat. She deserves the very best in life."

The happy news comes almost two years since the Travolta's lost their son Jett in the aftermath of a seizure.

Travolta, 56, and Preston, 48, announced the pregnancy earlier this year, celebrating with a dozen close friends at a shower held at their Los Angeles-area home. "This baby is such a healing baby," a family friend told People magazine.

The pregnancy was the first bit of good news they had shared in a long time. "It's impossible to keep a secret," they wrote in a statement on Travolta's Web site in May, "especially one as wonderful as this."

"We want to be the first to share this great news with everyone that we are expecting a new addition to our family," the online statement continued and like this week's update, was signed "Love, John, Kelly and Ella."

The Travoltas have come a long way since their trials and tribulations of the past. A look back:

Jan. 2, 2009

Jett died Friday morning at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas after what the family's lawyer says was a seizure-related incident.

"A nanny attempted to revive him, all attempts were made, but he couldn't be revived," Travolta's attorney, Michael Ossi, who was also in The Bahamas, told ABCNews.com. "They tried as hard as they could to revive Jett."

The seizure was only part of the story. Royal Bahamas Police Force spokeswoman Loretta Mackey told the Associated Press that Jett Travolta died from hitting his head in a bathtub.

Jan. 5, 2009

The death certificate revealed that Jett died of a seizure. His parents released a statement the day before.

"Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered," said the statement posted on John Travolta's Web site. "We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives."

Jan. 8, 2009

Tom Cruise, a fellow member of the Church of Scientology, weighed in on the tragedy.

"It's horrific," a visibly shaken Cruise said in an interview that aired on ABC's "The View." "It's just horrific. Here you have a man, both of them doting parents, they're wonderful people and ..."

Cruise also defended the church, which came under scrutiny following Jett's death for speculation that it discourages members from seeking medical care.

"That's just not true. It's actually false," Cruise said. "They say, 'Get your physical, get your medication, get your physical illnesses handled.'"

Jan. 23, 2009

Three Bahamian citizens, including the paramedic who tried to revive Jett, a lawmaker and the former minister of tourism who served as the Travoltas' spokesman, were arrested in an alleged plot to extort money from John Travolta.

Ultimately, paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and Bahamas Senator Pleasant Bridgewater were charged with trying to extort $25 million from Travolta in exchange for a document that Travolta had signed saying he did not want his son transported to the local hospital. Travolta later changed his mind and Jett was taken to a Bahamas hospital.

After an alleged negotiation between Travolta's lawyer, Lightbourne and Bridgewater that was caught on tape, Travolta filed a complaint with the Bahamas police that led to a trial.

Sept. 23, 2009

John Travolta took the stand in the extortion trial, describing his last heartbreaking moments with his son.

"I ran downstairs with my wife to help my son," Travolta said, according to The Associated Press. In his testimony, he said he and Preston were awakened by a nanny around 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 2, the day of Jett's death. Travolta said when he went downstairs, another caretaker was doing chest compressions and he began administering breathing help.

The actor testified that his son Jett, 16, was autistic and suffered seizures every five to 10 days. He said the seizures would last 45 seconds to a minute and Jett typically slept for 12 hours after each one.

"He was autistic. He suffered from a seizure disorder," Travolta told the jury when asked about his son's condition.

Nov. 9, 2009

In his first interview since Jett's death, Travolta told USA Today that almost daily Scientology religious counseling sessions helped the family cope.

"We've been working very hard every day as a family to heal," Travolta said while promoting his film, "Old Dogs," which also starred Preston and their daughter Ella. "We have our own way of doing it, and it has been helping."

ABCNews.com's Brian Braiker and The Associated Press contributed to this report.