Jett Travolta. Death by Scientology?

It seems like this thread is based on a "blame everything bad on Scientology because we don't like them" attitude. I am no fan of Scientology but the conclusions drawn by the OP are formed on whole lot of baseless speculation. This thread just stinks of personal attack agenda.

Originally posted by Terapin
It is very sad that Jett died at such a young age. Any death is tragic, but when a parent has to burry their child, it is doubly so. I just wonder how things might have been if instead of hiring nannies and vacuuming the carpet, if they had instead spent the money on professional therapists who had experience with Autistic children. Ignoring his Autism certainly did not make his life any better.

And Yes, Christian Scientists are not the only religion that believes in the power of prayer instead of the science of medicine. Scientologists, not to be confused with Christian Scientists, believe that they are Alien Ghosts, (Thetans to be exact,) and that things like Autism do not exist. They also believe that if you reach level OT-8 in the Cult, that you can fly.

I wonder if Tom Cruise can fly yet? So far, I have only seen him get slightly airborn when jumping on a couch.

[edit on 3/1/09 by Terapin]

Wow.

So you are entitled to be the judge, unequivocally, as to what made another man and his childs life, better or not, despite having never met either of them.

Then, from merely wondering about whether they hired professional therapists instead of nannies and carpet cleaners (while making a ludicrous suggestion through your wondering that they were a replacement for them) you can suggest that their religious beliefs might have had a part to play in this teenagers death.

Wow.

No evidence, pure speculation and a lack of integrity by using the death of a scientologist's teenager to manipulatively promote your issues with scientology. They are not the same thing.

Classy.

reply to post by On the level


Islam isn't dangerous you ignorant drone. That's like saying all Americans are transgendered.

reply to post by On the level


i am not islamic but i have actually read the koran and it really does speak of love for family and love for the greater family of mankind. they have their sects and divisions just like we do. true islam is like true christianity with family values. so when you use islam as an example you need to also use christan extremism as well. hey your not a good christian unless your taking someones land and religion and converting them to your way of thinking. no different than scientology. R.

The negative responses in here are beginning to get amusing.

Do I think that John and Kelly did not love their child? I am certain that they fully loved Jett as much as any parent loves their child, and that they felt like they were doing everything that they could for him.

Do I think that they deliberately caused harm to their son. No. I never said that. I am certain that they would never willingly seek to cause harm to Jett or anyone. John and Kelly are two peaceful and loving, well meaning individuals.

Do I think that Jetts death was something more sinister than just a tragic accident. No. Jett fell in the bathroom, hit his head, and died from the trauma, and that is exactly what I assume the autopsy will show.

People make the assumption that I am simply reading supermarket tabloids, and that I have no understanding of the issue. You all saw the thread topic, and some then came in here to complain. If you don't like it, no one is forcing you to be here as there are plenty of other threads on ATS. Some assume that I am simply bashing for the sake of bashing, and kicking John Travolta when he is down. They choose not to see the issue.

John and Kelly loved their son just as as everyone loves their child and the death of Jett is indeed a sad and tragic accident. I do know however that because of their cult beliefs, Jett did not receive all the medical care he could have had. Scientologists believe that Autism does not exist. They believe the problem is simply that his inner Alien Ghost (Thetan) is confused and out of contact with the body. They treat Autism, and all mental illnesses the same way. Detoxification and vitamin packs. Period. Despite six pediatricians diagnosing Jett with autism, Cult beliefs prevented Jett from having professional therapists and medication for autism. John and Kelly continued to deny Jetts autism and stuck with explaining his health problems as a side effect of Kawasakis Disease. That... is the issue. It is clearly stated in the OP. That is the discussion. Not about the love of a parent for their child, and the sadness of the tragedy, that is without dispute. The subject is, Cult beliefs which result in the denial of appropriate medical therapy.

Many seem to make the assumption that I don't know what I am talking about, that I know nothing about John Travoltas life other than what one may read in a supermarket tabloid. They may be surprised to learn that I work in the entertainment industry, that I have worked for Disney, Universal, Viacom, etc., and may just have a bit more personal experience and insight into the life behind the story. Assume what you wish to.

Feel free to come in here, knowing the topic of the thread, and to simply post negative comments. You can choose to deny that Scientology had a definite impact on the quality of Jetts life all you want. I know the truth. I choose to deny ignorance.

Scientology limited the caliber of care that Jett received. Scientology has done so with other individuals, and sometimes it has directly lead to their death. It will happen again unless people speak out.

So, attack the thread. Drink the Kool-aid that Jim Jones offers you. Pray for John and Kellys soul and perhaps they may wake up. Remember, they still have another child. What happens when she may need medical attention in the future?

For the rest of you who know how dangerous the cult of Scientology truly is, keep educating others and Deny Ignorance.

reply to post by the titor experience


Scientology is not in any manner a religion. It is a dangerous CULT, period! With out monetary donations, it is almost impossible to gain any status with in the cult. If you cannot recruit anyone your ignored and actualy ridiculed within the Cult. Its a cultish ponzie scheme and untill folks within the group realise they are being scammed and misguided by junk science they will continue to be!

Zindo

Originally posted by zerotime
It seems like this thread is based on a "blame everything bad on Scientology because we don't like them" attitude. I am no fan of Scientology but the conclusions drawn by the OP are formed on whole lot of baseless speculation. This thread just stinks of personal attack agenda.

The reason why some are blaming the CULT is because of its teachings in regards to medical care. If the Travolta's neglected to give their child medical care due to their Scientology beliefs, then they should be held accountable and so should the cult.

THAT is why there is a connection with the story and the cult.

Now with that said, until there is an autopsy and people start speaking....we have no idea if their son was receiving proper medical care or not for whatever condition he had. We just dont know.

But if there is a history of this cult and others having deaths due to medical care neglect then IMO, its a valid point to discuss.





[edit on 1/4/2009 by greeneyedleo]

While this is indeed from a tabloid, here is one mans story about his personal encounter with John and Jett Travolta.
From the father of a Child with Autism In it, you can see Kelly Preston protesting against Medication.

You may also want to learn more about Tory Christman, affectionately know by many as Magoo. She was involved with Scientology 30 years, and rose to a very high position before escaping the cult. She was one of John Travoltas "auditors" or personal handlers within the cult. She was also a sufferer of seizures. Here is a video that she recently made for John since the tragic death of his son. She speaks of her experience as an epileptic within the cult of Scientology and how they denied her medication. She also had a seizure and fell in the bathtub, much like Jett. A message to John Travolta

I met Tory in Washington D.C. this past summer and she is a wonderful woman who has detailed information on the dangerous practices of the cult. She has been speaking out about these dangers ever since she managed to Free herself from them in 2000. Here is the Wikipedia entry on her. Magoo

OK, so apparently the internet has been aflame with questions about Jetts medical condition and treatment, and not just here in ATS. The Anonymous Group web pages have seen a significant increase in traffic recently, and the news organizations are now digging deeper. So much so in fact, that the lawyers for the family are trying to come up with a plausible response.

Here is what the lawyers have suddenly come up with:

TMZ has learned more about the medical condition of John Travolta's son, Jett, and the medication that ultimately didn't work.

We're now told the grand mal seizures Jett suffered were "frequent and extremely serious." Travolta's lawyers, Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott, tell us "each seizure was like a death," with Jett losing consciousness and convulsing.

We now know Jett was taking a drug called Depokate, a strong anti-seizure medication. There have been reports Travolta refused to give his son anti-seizure meds because of Scientology but those stories are not true.

Jett had been having seizures on an average of every four days, until he started taking Depokate. Ossi and McDermott say the drug initially worked, reducing the frequency to approximately once every three weeks.

Jett took Depokate for "several years," but it eventually lost its effectiveness, according to Ossi and McDermott. They say "it began to cause serious physical damage" including damage to Jett's liver. And, Jett went back to having at least one seizure every four days. So Travolta and Preston, after consulting neurosurgeons, stopped administering the drug.

This is an interesting tale for a few reasons. They admit that Jett was not on medications when he died and was having serious seizures every four days. They claim that he had been on Depokate, but was taken off of it for two reasons. First, that he had developed a tolerance to it and it lost it's effectiveness, and Second, that it was causing damage to his liver. Depokate would have showed up in an autopsy, but now, when no drugs are found, they have an explanation. But to put Jett on no other meds?? A quick check reveals that there are many medications used to treat seizures.

If one takes a look at the two principle reasons why anyone is taken off of a medication, you will find that it is due to either developing a tolerance, or liver damage, and this is what the lawyers are now claiming. The interesting thing about this, is that they are mutually exclusive. If Jett were on a medication for a long enough period of time to develop a tolerance to it, then clearly his liver must have tolerated it well. If a medication had a serious a negative impact on his liver, then he never would have been kept on it long enough to develop a tolerance. So which was it?

If Depakote was not working, then why not go to the numerous other available treatments? All they mention is that he was not on medication. They mention a neurosurgeon, but why go with a surgeon who cuts you up, and not a specialist on Neuropharmacology or an Epileptologist? They would have far more expertise on the subject than a surgeon would. It is not like John could not afford the best after all.

Here is Kelly Prestons take on the matter of medications. Note the celebrity holding the sign to the left of her, another Scientologist.
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The report went deeper by calling in experts on the subject, and went on to state,

" As a mental health professional, depakote is primarily used to treat bipolar disorder, it may also be used as a component in the treatment of seizures, (but) there are other medications that would treat grand mal seizures and it does not seem to make sense that he would be given depakote for a serious seizure disorder, that does not add up."

This is the position of Anonymous on the situation

reply to post by Terapin


Hi. I spoke with Tory "Magoo" on the phone once while I was trying to get some help for someone still "in" Scientology and not only was she thoroughly unhelpful she was rude. She strikes me as someone who is only interested in speaking on the subject if it will be heard by more than one person. That is just my opinion in my dealings with her, although I know of someone else who had the same. Still, I blame Scientology. You can't live surrounded by crazy as long as she did without being affected by it.

I agree with you about Scientology. I think it is a dangerous cult and would definitely steer people the hell away from it. There is no science in Scientology. It hasn't cured anyone of homosexuality. It hasn't cured anyone of AIDS. It hasn't improved anyone's lives. What it has done is emptied a whole lot of people's banking accounts of all their funds and gotten a lot of male homosexuals wives they probably didn't want or need.

Their rabid stance on medication is absolute and quite ignorant. All absolutes are harmful and any person of any scalable intelligence understands this. It takes only a few years of observing life's many situations to understand that one size does not fit all. Scientologists are denied the ability to see gray, and that is perhaps the greatest "crime" of their religion--well, aside from the hefty price tag for their classes.

I caution you, however, in your posts here. ATS has a serious streak of civil libertarianism. People will say: adults are allowed to choose something either stupid or dangerous. This is true. Scientology is a bad choice. People who choose it are hurting themselves and their family. However, it is their right to choose it.

I used to post on IMDB until the anti-Scientology crowd became an angry mob. If you tried to sit in the middle and say that Scientologists were good people and Scientology is bad--or that you could like Tom Cruise and not like Scientology all of a sudden you were a Scientologist masquerading as something else in order to promote the cult. I had to quit that mess. The paranoia was amped up like mad over there.

While I disagree with the extremes--denying a suicidal patient access to anti-depressants, or refusing seizure medication to an epileptic, I do believe parents have a right to choose whether or not to vaccinate, or whether or not to give their school-aged child ritalin as long as they are willing to accept the consequences of it (being unable to attend school). When I said this around anti-Scientologists suddenly this became "suspect" behavior. I don't appreciate that one freakin' bit. I am not a Scientologist, I am a Catholic. I have been a Catholic since they pulled my screaming body from my Catholic mother's womb. Not only am I a Catholic, but I actually like being a Catholic. Yeh, we have problems, but our Gospels rock. I wouldn't give up being a Catholic for anything. So, it really irked the crap out of me when I got accused of being a Scientologist spy.

Now, if you will refrain from that sort of behavior over here I will be happy to get your back, but if I am going to get accused of being a Scientologist just because I don't rush to extreme condemnation (something my religion prevents me from doing) then I will refrain from assistance.

reply to post by Rintendo


No worries here. I am open minded on the subject. It may very well turn out that Jett was receiving proper treatment, but thus far things look a bit odd. We do know that both his parents are hard core cult members. Both have spoken out against using medications in these situations. The cult has a long history of bad medicine. That's three strikes.

I am open to everyones ideas and feel there is room for everyones views. I know people on both sides of the fence and you are most welcome here without any thought of you being a Scientologist. And yes, Gospels do rock!

[edit on 4/1/09 by Terapin]

reply to post by Terapin


Well, it is my personal opinion (I cannot support this) that John Travolta is not hardcore on the subject and that it is Kelly. It is quite obvious from the kissing pic that the dude is gay and living a sham marriage. It would not surprise me if they have something on him with their audit tapes. People forget it is not like a Catholic priest. Those tapes aren't "secret" and can be used for blackmail. I think that is how they trapped ex-Catholics like John and Tom who might have thought that it was sacrosanct like confession.

I personally cannot stand the cult, but I also don't take pleasure in making fun of Scientologists who are trapped in it whether they are rich celebs like Tom and John or the broke ass worker bees they have stashed away in their Sea Org.

I would never urge anyone to join and would in fact urge people away from joining. However, I am very much of the opinion that adults should be allowed to make any bad choice they want from drugs to sex to religion as long as they are willing to deal with the consequences of those choices.

When it comes to kids however...I am on the fence. What is abuse to some (not vaccinating children) is not abuse to others. Where is the line between a parent denying 35 vaccines before the age of 3 and parents choosing to never vaccinate...? It is a slippery slope when you try to step in and "help" a parent make medical decisions.

Still, in many cases when the kids are pulled from school to work at an org, are shoved in closets, or denied prescribed meds for a treatable condition I would hope that child welfare becomes aware and involved. **shakes head** Still...I am so afraid of the government and the way laws are written that I cringe even typing that...

[edit on 4-1-2009 by Rintendo]

Originally posted by Terapin
Scientology limited the caliber of care that Jett received. Scientology has done so with other individuals, and sometimes it has directly lead to their death. It will happen again unless people speak out.

Whether or not they "believed" in autism is besides the point. There is NO CURE for it. The kid had a decent quality of life, it is not like he did not receive any therapy and was simply locked in a closet, or shut away in an institution.

They gave him a lot of attention, took him everywhere, hired people to help watch over him. Perhaps if he had treatment he might have been "somewhat" better but all things considered I don't think it really matters. He was NOT abused, he was not shunned because of his condition, he was apparently adored, and he lived a good quality of life.

reply to post by Sonya610


Yes, there is no cure for Autism, but there most definitely is treatment and therapy. There are also medications that would have treated his seizures so that he was not having massive seizures every four days. What kind of quality of life could it be if he was constantly having seizures?

Some individuals who are given proper therapy for their autism make remarkable progress.

I would also like to add, that yes, Jett had good parents who obviously loved him very much and did all that they felt they could to make his life better. I wonder however, what their care choices might have been, if they were not guided by the cult???

[edit on 4/1/09 by Terapin]

I don't know why it hasn't already been mentioned here that Jett had taken anti-seizure medication- Depakote- which he had been taking for years, and initially it worked, but after some time his body became tolerant to the effects and it was no longer working, he was still getting the seizures so with the advice of the neurospecialist who were guiding them they took him off a med that was no longer able to stop the seizures anymore.

Terapin you seem to be on top of this whole story, but yet I didn't see you mention this fact, which had come out hours earlier today. We don't know for sure if a head injury or a seizure caused this passing. But from the statements from friends and relatives, it seems that John cared about this kid vary much and did try his best. We don't know if this kid has special allergies or whatnot- it seems from a young age he was affected by toxins.


I've seen some really nasty stuff said about this kid such as a few comments s " John's retard" and somebody made a video on youtube joking that his father beat him with a bat and making real nasty comments.

This is a sad story, an accident, and obviously the parents did try to help their son... and it's too early to point fingers and say that they did not just because their choice of religion. Just because he would not parade his son around too much , does not mean he was embarrassed of him, the flashing lights from paparazzi can induce seizures as well. We don't no yet if he had some rare disease.

Originally posted by Terapin

Yes, there is no cure for Autism, but there most definitely is treatment and therapy. There are also medications that would have treated his seizures so that he was not having massive seizures every four days. What kind of quality of life could it be if he was constantly having seizures?

Some individuals who are given proper therapy for their autism make remarkable progress.

Well if he was able to live a reasonable life, and those around him were not suffering, I don't see what the big deal is whether he received therapy for autism or not. Why should he? Just so he could seem "more normal"? His parents were in a position to take care of him well for his entire life, regardless.

And drug resistant seizures are apparently not that unusual:

While about 80 percent of people with epilepsy gain significant relief from drug therapy, the remaining 20 percent have seizures that cannot be controlled by medications. Many of these people have a particular type of epilepsy called partial epilepsy. A new study shows that people with partial epilepsy often have seizures controlled by medications for years before their seizures become drug-resistant. The study also found that periods when seizures stopped for a year or more are common in these patients.

If fell in my bathtub about two weeks ago.

Fortunately, I was not seriously injured, but it was a quick and painful reminder of how it is that so many people meet their demise in bathtubs or from injuries sustained in bathtub falls.

So little seems to be known about this child or his condition or conditions that it does not seem proper to speculate prior to the release of autopsy results.

I don't have any conditions that caused my fall, but it could have been fatal, if only one or two variables had been different.

It's not right at this juncture to be pointing fingers at this family.



[edit on 2009/1/4 by GradyPhilpott]

reply to post by Sonya610


Greetings again Sonya. I have seen some of your posts in other threads and have always found them to be well though and meaningful. I do enjoy.

My take on Autism, is that good therapy does indeed create a better quality of life as it assists the individual in interacting with the world around them. Autistic individuals have difficulty with, Social interactions and relationships, Verbal and nonverbal communication ( Jett apparently could not talk), and Limited interests in activities or play. Several studies confirm that some young autistic children can make remarkable progress when they participate in specially designed intensive behavioral intervention programs. UCLA and others have done quite a bit of work in this area and have had quite good results with properly trained therapists. Simply taking care of the child is not enough to create this type of progress.

reply to post by Pocky



Pocky, check again. I specifically mentioned Jetts medical treatments and Depakote, in a post shortly before yours. Look for the post with the picture of Kelly Preston at a rally and then check out the text of the post.

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


Hey Grady!!

I do agree with your analogy of this situation. There are to many unanswered questions, but one thing is for sure, John really loved his son, and with the possibility of him actually having tried to give Jett CPR and failing, that is a real heart breaker. I had only heard that by way of Fox News this morning though, not sure of it's authenticity of being factual.

I have done a bit of reading on Autism, Seizures and possible Aneurysms during this young mans life, and they do intermediately cause one or the other the efffects that has taken place, even though an autopsy of Jett won't disclose some of the possible out comes, I still believe this topic should be given great respect and courteousness that the ATS has to offer.

"My heart goes out to "BOTH" parents for their untimely and devastating loss."