Travolta tells blackmail trial of son's death

Film star John Travolta today relived the horror of watching his handicapped teenage son die in front of him, giving evidence at the trial of two people accused of trying to blackmail him over the boy.

With his actress wife Kelly Preston also in the Nassau courtroom, Travolta said he tried to revive 16-year-old Jett after he fell ill at the family holiday home on Grand Bahama island. Jett later died from a seizure.

“I ran downstairs with my wife to help my son,” Travolta said.

Travolta is the main witness at the trial of paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former Bahamas senator Pleasant Bridgewater who are accused of trying to extort $25m (€17m) from him. Both deny the charges.

It was a rare public appearance for Travolta, 55, who has kept a low profile since Jett’s death in January. He skipped promotional events this summer for his latest film 'The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3'. He thanked his co-stars on his website for giving him time to grieve through their efforts to publicise the film.

Travolta arrived the Supreme Court building in a convoy vehicles for his first appearance at the trial.

Security was noticeably heavier than previous days with Bahamas police officers surrounding the courthouse.

In his evidence, he said he and his wife were woken by a nanny around 10.15am on January 2, the day of Jett’s death. Travolta said when he went downstairs, another caretaker was doing chest compression and he began administering breathing help.

Travolta also confirmed publicly that Jett was autistic.

“He was autistic. He suffered from a seizure disorder,” Travolta told the jury when asked about his son’s condition.

The actor said Jett suffered seizures every five to 10 days. He said the seizures would last 45 seconds to a minute and Jett typically slept for 12 hours after each one.

Police say the alleged scheme involved a document related to Jett’s treatment. It would have released emergency responders from liability if the family refused an ambulance, but police said that did not happen.

A police officer testified that Travolta signed the release because he initially wanted his son taken to the airport instead of a local hospital.

A nine-person jury was expected to hear from a total of 14 witnesses, including Travolta.