Tom Selleckthe famous actor known for his role in the series Blue bloodhe shared in his memoir You Never Know a personal anecdote that links him to Princess Diana and a night that was recorded in history.
The episode is contextualized in a state dinner hosted by the White House in November 1985, held in honor of Princess Diana and the then Prince Charles. The guest list was carefully selected by Lady Di, and included just three actors: Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, and Selleck himself. They were accompanied by President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Selleck recalled feeling “anxious” during the first interactions, but his nervousness dissipated upon meeting Diana, whom he described as “charming, elegant and beautiful.” He also highlighted that Carlos had the ability to make the person he was with feel important.
“After the meal, everyone moved to the East Room to listen to music and dance. President Reagan and Princess Diana danced, and Charles danced with Nancy. Then John Travolta and the princess started dancing,” he detailed, although he and Eastwood chose to stay at the edge of the dance floor, looking into the distance.
When the third song started, a woman approached the two men and said: “Mr. Travolta and the princess are dancing together for the second time. We can’t allow that. We don’t want to start rumors”. And he added: “Mr. Selleck, you must intervene and replace him.”
Upon request, he exclaimed, perhaps too loudly: “I’m not going to intervene in John Travolta!” So that seconds later he changed his mind and agreed to request a piece, although for the next topic.
When the time came, Selleck kept his word and danced with the princess. He was grateful that it was a slow song, as he was nervous about not having received “an education in ballroom dancing,” and offered an apology to the Princess of Wales.
“She was charming and there was a very shy quality about her despite being well schooled in the art of conversation. I must say he seemed to be having the time of his life. She relieved me that she did most of the talking. Let’s say it wasn’t my best moment as a conversationalist,” she added.
November 9, 1985, marked a monumental meeting in pop culture history when Princess Diana and John Travolta shared a dance at the White House.
Since her adolescence, the young Diana Spencer was a declared fan of the actor after seeing him in films such as Saturday night fever and grease. By the time she met him at 24, Travolta had turned 31, and was experiencing a lull after achieving global fame.
“I had no idea there was anything planned for me that night. I just felt honored to have been invited to that event, because at that time my career was at a very low point, but nevertheless, I was in that room. I felt like a toad that had become a prince”Travolta recalled.
What he did not know was that, during the reception and at approximately 9:30 p.m., the first lady of the United States, Nancy Reagan, approached him with a very special request from Princess Diana: “Her great dream has always been to dance.” with you: would you grant that wish?”
It was then that Travolta approached Lady Di and asked her somewhat shyly, “Excuse me, Princess, would you like to dance?” The princess, bowing her head and somewhat blushing, answered simply: “I would love to.”
“I was aware that everyone was looking at us at that moment, so I tried to make her feel comfortable; I put my hand on her back and held her hand in such a way that she felt confident. So it was. The dance was fantastic thanks to her, because she didn’t behave like someone superior, but quite the opposite.”, he concluded.
