John Travolta Says 'The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened In My Life' Was When 16-Year-Old Son Jett Passed Away A Decade Ago

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

We tend to think about celebrities, particularly those who are considered to be part of Hollywood royalty, as people for whom the hardships of life are easier to handle because of their wealth, privileged social status, and powerful connections. When it comes down to living with certain curve balls that life routinely throw at us, we sometimes find out that celebrities are just like the rest of us; in fact, they sometimes have important things to share about how they deal with life.

A decade has passed since Jett Travolta passed away at the age of 16. He was with his family in the Caribbean in 2009, where they had decided to spend Christmas and bring in the New Year, when he suffered a major seizure he was not able to survive.

It was an event that his father John Travolta said was "the worst thing that's ever happened in my life" according to the BBC. Jett was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a condition that affects the lymph nodes as well as the autoimmune and central nervous system, when he was just two years old.

He was also given a diagnosis within the autism spectrum, and he was on the severe end of it, which explains why he had to deal with seizures during his entire life. Jett passed away in early January; months later, his parents found themselves in a Bahamian court as main witnesses in a blackmail and extortion case.

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Being able to enjoy life with privacy is something that major celebrities such as John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston long for. Even the most ardent fans of Travolta's work as a cinematic performer will tell you that they do not know too much about his life, and this is by design. 

Many people were surprised to learn that Travolta's son lived with autism, and many more could not have guessed that his condition was so severe. The seizures Jett suffered were terrifying for his family, but they used to last about 45 seconds; afterwards, Jett would sleep for about 12 hours with little recollection of what had happened according to ABC. Seizures essentially take life away from you, and you never know when one will become overly complicated to the point of killing you. This is what Jett's parents had to live with, and they did not want to make it public for the same reasons you and I close the door when we go to the bathroom or pull the curtains in the bedroom when we sleep: We all want some privacy in our lives.

Despite the masterful work of Hollywood agents who protected Travolta's, a Bahamian paramedic and a politician decided it would be a good idea to blackmail the family after Jett passed away. They demanded $25 million from Travolta and Preston, reports People, an amount that they probably could have afforded, but they chose to take the high road and notify police detectives in the Bahamas instead. By doing this, they knew that they would be letting the cat out of the bag since criminal trials in that Caribbean jurisdiction are public matters, but Travolta felt that this was the right thing to do.

Family details were revealed to the public during the trial, but Travolta took things a step further by becoming active on Facebook and Instagram. He has posted stories about how life was with Jett and his various conditions. Travolta wants his fans to know that all moments he spent with Jett, even the most difficult ones, were worth not only worth living but probably the best 16 years of his life.

What do you think about this story? Are you convinced that no matter how much we idolize celebrities, they will never be able to escape the human condition? Feel free to post this story onto your favorite social network so that your followers can learn more about how Travolta dealt with this delicate situation.