19/1/2009: Grieving Travolta Targeted by Extortionists

Shortly after the death of John Travolta’s 16-year-old son Jett from a seizure at the family’s holiday home in the Bahamas, the star was contacted by two people who reportedly demanded ‘millions of dollars’ for a photograph of Jett taken on a mobile phone as he lay in the back of the ambulance speeding him to hospital.   Travolta immediately contacted his Florida-based lawyers, Michael Ossi and Howard Butler, who flew to the Bahamas over the weekend of the 17^th-18^th January to meet with the extortionists.

 Reports indicated that the extortionists, who had been taken into custody and questioned by local authorities, were a local politician from Grand Bahama and somebody connected with the ambulance service.

 In a statement to the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union, the attorneys stated that, ‘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.’

 A police source commented, ‘The investigation is at an early stage. Mr Travolta is co-operating fully.’

Travolta remained in seclusion at his home on the Jumbolair estate in central Florida where friends reported that he was struggling to come to terms with the death of Jett. [ADD]

2/1/2009: Travolta's Son Found Dead

2009

USA: 2009