Travolta, wife Kelly Preston, and daughter Ella Bleu helped raise thousands of dollars for five charities — including The Jett Travolta Foundation — at a screening of their new movie Old Dogs on Friday. The actor and his entire family star in the upcoming animated comedy, but it seemed that The Travoltas benefited from the evening, as well.

The family was emotional as they thanked the crowd for supporting the family since 16-year-old Jett died Jan. 2.

“Kelly, Ella and I want to thank all of you for supporting us over the last year,” John said from the red carpet,” according to The Ocala Star-Banner. “It’s meant the world to us. We know that we have a community. We know that we have friends. And we know that we are loved. We appreciate it. Jett appreciates it. We love you, Ocala.”

“You guys are all so down to earth, loving and caring,” Kelly Preston told the crowd.

The private gala raised at least $37,500 for the nonprofits. The local premiere was his latest film that John has brought to his hometown for charity. The actor has held similar events for Wild Hogs and Bolt.

Old Dogs opens in theaters Nov. 25.

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.

The actor said that Lightbourne threatened to “imply that the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable in some way.”

The medic reportedly claimed to have evidence that would finger Jett’s parents for his death.

Jett Travolta, 16, died of a seizure on January 2, 2009.

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.

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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.

In a letter posted on his Official Website on Monday, John wrote:

“The Taking of Pelham 123 from Sony Pictures is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2009. It was a labor of love to work on this film with the producers Todd Black, Steve Tisch and Jason Blumenthal, the director Tony Scott and fellow cast members Denzel Washington, Luis Guzman, John Turturro and James Gandolfini.”

“Tony gave me the freedom to define, and then to become, the ultimate evil mastermind. This role as an actor gave me the chance to dispense with all moral and ethical limitations, and explore just how bad this character could really be. I believe you will like the result,” he continued.

“Tony, Denzel, Luis, John, James and Sony Pictures stepped up without hesitation to help promote this wonderful film, and their unselfish efforts have allowed my family the additional time to reconcile our loss. I am very proud of the efforts we have all made in making this movie, and I want each and every one of you to enjoy it. So set your calendars for the weekend of June 12th. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

With Love,
John

Tom Cruise will reportedly team up with pal John Travolta in a remake of the 1960s western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The surrogate father of Scientology plans to produce the remake through his United Artists Studio and is currently in talks with scriptwriters, a new report claims.

A source tells The Daily Mirror: “Butch and Sundance is a labor of love for Tom. He was eight years old when he saw the original and it made an impression that has stayed with him all his life. He can’t wait to get to work.”

Tom hopes to revive the role of Sundance–played by Robert Redford in the original film–while 55-year-old John is expected to play Cassidy.

The 46-year-old star even got the blessing of Paul Newman – who originally played the role of Cassidy in the film about a pair of lovable bank robbers–before he died of lung cancer last September, tattles tell the tab.

“It has been a pet project of his that has been on the back-burner for years. But now he’s ready to go, and will most likely happily eschew the enormous salary that he normally commands.”

According to Island-based newspaper, The Tribune, police are investigating two co-conspirators “one believed to be a politician” after John was contacted by a pair of extortionists who demanded “millions of dollars” for photograph of Jett Travolta that was taken as he was dying or threatened to sell the photo to the highest bidder.

Travolta’s attorneys, Mike Ossi and Howard Butler, released a statement alerting the public of the extortion plot on Wednesday: “Regrettably in a time of such terrible grief there are often a few individuals who attempt to make false claims in hopes of making millions of dollars.”

“We will never let that happen.”

Jett died of a “seizure” at the family’s Grand Bahama vacation home this month after he was found unconscious in the bathroom.

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.

The blog was prompted by the recent wave of negative media attention surrounding the buzzed about faith in the wake of the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s 16-year-old son, Jett, who passed away of a seizure in the Bahamas last Friday.

Some critics believe the family’s religious beliefs may have prevented Jett from receiving adequate medical care.

“I wished I could be writing you under happier circumstances but I cannot because Two of my very good friends, (John and Kelly Travolta ) the sweetest people in the world have just encountered the worst possible tragedy a parent could be forced to endure, the death of their son Jett,” Lisa Marie wrote on Tuesday.

“I am writing this because I have noticed that for the most part, people and the media have been very sympathetic and respectful, but there are those certain ones that want to use this horrible tragedy as an opportunity to once again, blame and or attack Scientology? Folks, as popular as it has been to discriminate and ridicule Scientology and Scientologist’s in the recent past, Now is NOT the time,” the star adds.

“Among most of the crazy made up garbage that goes around about it , It is not true that Scientologist’s ‘Don’t believe in’ medical care , medicine or medical Doctors and that may have something to do with this terrible tragedy. Just like anyone else, If one is sick , they go to the doctor, If a medication will make it better then they take it. If they don’t then they are an idiot and you can’t blame their religion.”

“Whatever medical and or physical condition Jett had, I can tell you first hand that his parents were on a tireless, never ending quest to get and provide him with the absolute best care anyone could ever ask for and need, Medically, physically, emotionally, medicinally and spiritually. I am not writing this to preach my beliefs, I am here to protect my friends,” Lisa Marie concluded.

“John and Kelly have done nothing but spend their lives and their time helping others, making people happy and making peoples lives better. Please let this family grieve in peace.”

Read The Rest Of Lisa Marie’s Blog