NASSAU, Bahamas — John Travolta recalled his son’s tragic death when he testified Wednesday at a Bahamas trial in which two people are accused of trying to extort $25 million from him.
During his testimony, Travolta disclosed that he helped a nanny perform CPR on his 16-year-old son Jett, who died on Jan. 2 after suffering a seizure at the family’s vacation home on Grand Bahama island.
The “Grease” star also revealed that his only son was autistic, a developmental disorder that is frequently accompanied by seizures.
“My son was autistic and he suffered from seizure disorder every 5 to 10 days,” Travolta told the court. “He would suffer a seizure that would last 45 seconds to a minute and sleep for 12 hours.”
Travolta was dismissed by the judge in the afternoon but is expected to provide more testimony in the future.
The 55-year-old actor arrived at the Nassau courtroom with his wife, actress Kelly Preston.
Paramedic Tarino Lightbourn, one of the first people to arrive on the scene the day of the fatal seizure, and Pleasant Bridgewater, a former Bahamian senator, are accused of demanding money from Travolta in exchange for not publicizing a document involving his son’s treatment. The form in question would have released emergency responders from liability if the family refused an ambulance, a situation that never transpired.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty in the blackmail case, which began Monday.
