The Bahamian judge presiding over the John Travolta extortion case has ordered a retrial, according to the Associated Press, citing possible juror misconduct.
Pleasant Bridgewater, a former member of the Bahamian Senate, and ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne are accused of attempting to extort $25 million from Travolta following the death of his son, Jett, in January.
A trial date has not been set.
John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston returned to a Bahamas courthouse on Wednesday, where the actor gave testimony in the trial of a pair of island medics charged with an extortion attempt made after the death of the couple’s son last winter. Travolta testified that the medic who attempted to extort money from his family threatened to claim the actor was responsible for his son Jett’s death.
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John Travolta described the moments before his son’s death in the Bahamas last January as he testified Wednesday against two people accused of trying to blackmail him with private information about that faithful day.
Travolta testified that he and wife Kelly Preston were awakened by a nanny at approximately 10:15 AM on Jan. 2, alerting them that Jett had fallen ill at the family’s vacation home on Grand Bahama island, just off the coast of Florida. The actor says he performed CPR on his son: “I ran downstairs with my wife to help my son.” When the couple arrived downstairs, another caretaker was doing chest compressions and he began administering breathing help. Sadly, the chronically ill 16-year-old later died of a seizure.
Travolta, 55, has kept a very low profile since Jett’s death, appearing only recently at the D23 Expo to present his upcoming film Old Dogs.
Paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former Bahamas Senator Pleasant Bridgewater are accused of trying to extort $25 million from Travolta. Both defendants pleaded innocent to extortion charges at the trial that began Monday.
John Travolta insists his faith in the Church of Scientology is ”as strong as ever”, despite claims he is considering abandoning the bizarre religion.
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The 55-year-old actor has denied reports claiming he has abandoned The Church of Scientology after 34 years following the death of his son Jett last January. The 16-year-old died after suffering a fatal seizure in the family’s home in the Bahamas. Jett was autistic, a condition not recognized by the church.
Nonetheless, John’s rep, Paul Bloch, claims the actor’s faith is as strong as ever.
“There’s no change in the relationship between the Church of Scientology and John. He is a member and it’s as it was, now and forever.”
Is John Travolta finished with the Church of Scientology?
The actor, who has been a follower of the controversial faith for 34 years, is rumored to be leaving the faith after its radical medical ideals prevented him from getting help for his16-year-old autistic son, Jett, who passed away six months ago.
“There have been strong rumors coming out of Scientology that John Travolta is disappointed that the religion was not able to help his son more,” says Rick Ross, a Scientology lecturer for more than 30 years. “It’s led him to question his faith.”
But Ross adds that the 55-year-old actor may not follow through on his desire to split from the church because he fears leaders may retaliate by revealing embarrassing details about his private life.
“Scientology keeps files on its celebrity members containing embarrassing personal information about them,” Ross says. “And Scientology has proven in the past that it has a penchant for releasing that information to embarrass people who have left and who have said things it doesn’t like.”
John Travolta — who has been noticably absent from the promo tour for his new movie The Taking Of Pelham 123 following the January death of his 16-year-old son, Jett — has thanked his co-stars for filling in for him. Read the rest of this entry »
Tom Cruise will reportedly team up with pal John Travolta in a remake of the 1960s western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Read the rest of this entry »
Lawyers for John Travolta and Kelly Preston are fighting extortion demands made after the death of their 16-year-old son in the Bahamas earlier this month. Read the rest of this entry »
In a post titled “Now Is Not The Time,” new mother Lisa Marie Presley took to her MySpace blog on Tuesday to defend her controversial religion of choice, Scientology.
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John Travolta and Kelly Preston will have the body of their late son cremated in the Bahamas, according to Radar Online. Sixteen-year-old Jett Travolta passed away after suffering a fatal seizure during the family’s holiday island getaway last Friday morning. Read the rest of this entry »
