Thursday, 13 February 2014

'Scientology minders were with me every day for TWO solid years': John Travolta reveals how church accompanied him everywhere when his faith wobbled after son's death

John Travolta has revealed that he was assigned round-the-clock Scientology minders after the death of his teenage son four years ago.
The 59-year-old Hollywood star was accompanied by representatives from his church every day for two years in order to help him through the ordeal.
Jett Travolta died at the age of 16, in January 2009, after suffering a seizure in the Travolta family holiday home in the Bahamas and hitting his head on the bath.
Hardline church: John Travolta, pictured with wife Kelly Preston in Beverly Hills last month, was under 24/7 Scientology-watch for two years
Hardline church: John Travolta, pictured with wife Kelly Preston in Beverly Hills last month, was under 24/7 Scientology-watch for two years

Religious support: After Jett, pictured between his mother and father with sister Ella Bleu, died, John Travolta was assigned Scientology minders who followed him day and night
Religious support: After Jett, pictured between his mother and father with sister Ella Bleu, died, John Travolta was assigned Scientology minders who followed him day and night
It was not until after his death that Travolta acknowledged that Jett was autistic, something which he and Kelly Preston, his wife of 23 years, had always vehemently denied as Scientology does not believe autism exists.
After this, Travolta was surrounded by selected members of his religion, potentially as a precaution to ensure he and his family would not stray following the death of Jett.
However, the Pulp Fiction actor says he would not have made it through without Scientology.
‘I don’t think I could have got through it,’ the father-of-three told The Telegraph.
‘They were with me every day after Jett died. They even travelled with me when I needed to get away. And for a solid two years it was like that.
‘It was only in the second year that I started to take a break of a day or two just to see how I was doing on my own.’


Heartbreak: John and Kelly were grief-stricken after the death of their 16-year-old son Jett while on vacation in the Bahamas in January 2009; John is shown smiling at his son in this undated picture
Heartbreak: John and Kelly were grief-stricken after the death of their 16-year-old son Jett while on vacation in the Bahamas in January 2009; John is shown smiling at his son in this undated picture
New addition: The couple, pictured on June 20, 2011, welcomed their third child, son Benjamin, a year after Jett's death
New addition: The couple, pictured on June 20, 2011, welcomed their third child, son Benjamin, a year after Jett's death
Devastating loss: John Travolta's house in the Bahamas where his son Jett died on a family vacation at the at Old Bahama Bay resort, Grand Bahama
Devastating loss: John Travolta's house in the Bahamas where his son Jett died on a family vacation at the at Old Bahama Bay resort, Grand Bahama

Following Jett's death, Travolta was the victim of an $18million blackmail plot where a lawyer and a paramedic threatened to release details release a document relating to his son's care.
During the subsequent trial, the actor told a jury how he battled to save his son's life after Jett suffered a seizure at the family's holiday home in Bahamas.
'I was sleeping in the condo with my wife. My son was in the room below and my daughter was next door. I was awakened by Eli, my son's nanny, pounding on the door saying Jett was unconscious.
'I ran at the door, I ran downstairs to help my son with my wife. I saw him on the bathroom floor.
'His other nanny, Jeff Kathrein, and an employee, a woman, was doing CPR on him. I took the place of the woman. Jeff was doing compressions and I was doing breathing. I asked if an ambulance had been called and I was told "yes".'



Troubled waters: John and Kelly, seen here at an event in January 2013, were said to be headed to divorce court just last spring, although it appears that the couple have patched up their marital problems for now
Troubled waters: John and Kelly, seen here at an event in January 2013, were said to be headed to divorce court just last spring, although it appears that the couple have patched up their marital problems for now
Convert: John Travolta has been a practicing Scientologist since 1975 (pictured is the Flag Building, owned by the church, in Clearwater, Florida)
Convert: John Travolta has been a practicing Scientologist since 1975 (pictured is the Flag Building, owned by the church, in Clearwater, Florida)

While giving his testimony, the Saturday Night Fever legend had also been asked whether his son had suffered with any medical problems.
'Yes, my son was autistic and suffered from seizure disorder,' he replied.
'Every five to ten days he would suffer a seizure lasting 45 seconds to a minute and then sleep for about 12 hours.'
The case was later dropped when Travolta refused to take to the witness stand for a second time following a mistrial.
He said that he did not want to put his family through the ordeal a second time.
Travolta has been practicing Scientology since 1975 when actress Joan Prather gave him a book on the teachings of Ron L. Hubbard on while filming the movie The Devil’s Rain in Durango, Mexico.

DM

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