John Travolta speaks up about how Lady Diana made him nervous

John Travolta has given us a glimpse into the famous dance he shared with Princess Diana, and boy is it magical!

Princess Diana & John Travolta
© Getty Images
Princess Diana & John Travolta

John Travolta got a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dance with the most loved princess in the world and it was everything we ever imagined it to be.

Discover our latest podcast

Travolta gets nervous

The two shared a dance during a White House state dinner, hosted by former president Ronald Reagen and First Lady Nancy Reagan in 1985, but Travolta still remembers the dance as if it happened yesterday. He told Esquire Mexico in a recent interview:

I didn't expect to be asked to dance with her. I had the great privilege and honour to do so. And I thought: 'There must be a reason to do this and I better give it my all…'

Despite being a huge star himself, he admitted that dancing was the easiest part of the whole exchange, but talking to her made him break a sweat. He said:

Just the fact of greeting Diana appropriately, being confident and asking her to dance was a complicated task.

A fairy tale dance

He revealed in another interview that it was in fact Lady Diana’s wish to share the stage with him, and the first lady told him to ask her right at midnight. That night, Travolta felt like he stepped into a fairytale. He said:

Think of the moment. We are in the White House. It's midnight. The whole stage is like a dream. I go up to her, touch her on the shoulder, ask her to dance. She turns around and when she sees me she displays that captivating smile, somewhat sad, and accepts my invitation. And there we were, dancing together like in a fairy tale.

Not everyone gets the chance to dance with a beautiful princess, and Travolta was smart enough to know how lucky he was. He added:

Who could imagine that something like this is going to happen to you one day? I was smart enough to register it in my memory as a very special, magical moment.
This is what really happened when Princess Diana spent the night with John Travolta This is what really happened when Princess Diana spent the night with John Travolta