---

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 23201 • Posted: Saturday January 24, 2009  

---

Arrests over Travolta extortion plot

Two people have been arrested in the Bahamas over an alleged plot to extort money from the actor John Travolta, whose son Jett collapsed and died while on holiday in the islands.

Police said Tarino Lightbourne, an ambulance driver quoted in newspapers talking about efforts to revive the 16-year-old, was detained yesterday. Senator Pleasant Bridgewater was held on Thursday.

Jett died of a seizure on 2 January at the family’s holiday home on Grand Bahama island. Authorities did not give any details of the alleged plot but reports suggested it centred on a request for “millions of dollars” to stop the release of a photograph taken of Jett about the time he died.

Lawyers for the Travolta family said: “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.”
[...]

Jett’s parents, both Scientologists, said Jett had Kawasaki Disease, which causes inflammation of the arteries. It is rarely fatal and usually does not affect children aged over eight. They also believed chemicals in commercial cleaning fluids had affected him.

However it was also claimed that Jett exhibited signs of autism, a condition which the Church of Scientology does not recognise.

Bahamas holds two in alleged plot to extort John Travolta

One of the suspects, ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne, was detained on Friday.

Earlier, several tabloids quoted him describing efforts to revive the celebrity’s chronically ill son, Jett, who died of a seizure this month at the family’s vacation home on Grand Bahama.

Authorities did not reveal what the alleged extortion involved. Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston returned home to Florida with the ashes of their 16-year-old son, and Travolta’s publicist Paul Bloch said Friday he has no comment.
[...]

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Scientology Tags: Jett Travolta, John Travolta, Scientology Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Scientology Read Another Article Previous entry: Berlin District Posts Warning About Scientology — outside Scientology HQ Next entry: Mother of cult leader David Koresh fatally stabbed; sister held RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Scientology Most Popular Today NewsChannel 10 allowed inside self proclaimed messiah’s compound Wanda Barzee pleads guilty to charge in Elizabeth Smart case Judge cancels hearing in case against Warren Jeffs Atheists ‘just as ethical as churchgoers’ research shows

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.