Celebrity Justice
John Travolta's Son: Meds Ultimately Didn't Work

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 Depakote, 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 Depakote. Ossi and McDermott say the drug initially worked, reducing the frequency to approximately once every three weeks.

Jett took Depakote for "several years," but it eventually lost its effectiveness, according to Ossi and McDermott. They say the Travoltas were concerned about possible physical damage. And, Jett went back to having around one seizure a week. So Travolta and Preston, after consulting neurosurgeons, stopped administering the drug. No one is suggesting withdrawal of the medicine in any way caused the fatal episode.

Reader Comments

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1. Do you mean Depakote, TMZ?

Posted at 12:34PM on Jan 4th 2009 by ohhhhkay

2. He is in God's Kingdom now, strong and healthy. Deepest sympathies to the parents and little sister, Ella.

Posted at 12:35PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Just Saying

3. "Travolta's attornies" said all this..............................it gets stranger and deeper by the minute!

Posted at 12:37PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Dallas

4. Scientology = MURDER

Posted at 12:37PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Only retards believe

5. Scientologists are not allowed to speak on their own behalf, the keepers must do it for them. Like in any cult.

Posted at 12:39PM on Jan 4th 2009 by to Dallas,

6. How curious the attorney is releasing a new statement after each new issue arises...he's had plenty of time to get his "story" straight too. Its all hooey and nonsense...you have a kid who wasnt on RX medications, two nannie/mannies partying thinking he's sleeping for 16 hours, parents that dont go to bed until 5a.m., and all the ingredients of a tragedy in the making.

Now spin it doctors, spin it...save Travolta and Cruises Careers because their "church" needs their revenue stream.

May this please be the end of Scientology as the "place to be" for the rich and famous...or better yet, send them all there and let the figure out its all nonsense---only spare them the personal tragedy please. Its not fair to their children.

Obama better distance himself from these Kooks real fast, no matter how much money they have given to him.

Travoltas career and name is done...I dont know what well wishers across the World the attorney is speaking of, all stories are pointing to a cover up, dereliction of duty and strange parenting techniques as the story.

Posted at 12:44PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Jack Sprat

7. GOD LEAVE THEM ALONE. YOU GUYS ARE FRICKIN A HOLES!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:45PM on Jan 4th 2009 by chris bee

8. Uses1,2
Depakote ER is indicated for the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder, with or without psychotic features.
Depakote is indicated for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Depakote and Depakote ER are indicated for the treatment of complex partial seizures, and simple and complex absence seizures in adults and children 10 years of age and older with epilepsy.
Depakote and Depakote ER are indicated for the prevention of migraine headaches in adults.

Where does it say it is used for Grand Mal seizures or severe epilepsy?

Posted at 12:45PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Okie Doke

9. Christ, TMZ, it would've taken you five seconds to look up how to spell Depakote. Stop being so damned lazy.

Posted at 12:48PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Acheron

10. this is a very sad story, and i can't imagine losing a child. that being said, as a physician specializing in psychiatry, i find this statement by the attorneys confusing. although depakote can cause elevated liver enzymes, at that point, any neurologist would simpy change antiepileptics to a different medication. there are plenty of anti-seizure drugs that are effective and safe, so "neurosurgeons" (more likely neurologists, who actually treat seizure disorders) would NEVER counsel a patient's family to simply stop depakote- they would taper depakote and titrate another anti-seizure medication. very fishy. i smell scientology.

Posted at 1:42PM on Jan 4th 2009 by sikedoc

11. Please! Depakote is just one of MANY different meds one can take for seizures, at least 20. My daughter has had sz.for years and has tried several. She's on 2 right now. I do NOT believe any reputable neuro would EVER just stop an anti-seizure medication and continue to let him suffer. This is just a smoke screen to try and protect Scientology because they don't believe in any kind of drugs. I feel for the Travolta's, but don't try to fool the rest of us who's family members suffer with Epilepsy on a daily basis. The posts on here will certainly turn more critical of them if they don't come clean on what really happened. It's a tragedy, but SUDEP (Sudden unexplained death to Epilepsy) happens all the time to many families. This will hopefully bring the disease to the forefront, as many of us deal with this for their family members.,


Posted at 4:45PM on Jan 4th 2009 by mamasaw

12. I wish everyone would stop with the negative comments! This poor boy died. His parents and sister are devastated. May he rest in peace. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Posted at 12:51PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Erika

13. dear john and kelly

you are loved by your many many fans

may you both find peace in your family

you were good parents

and more importantly you loved

your son and he loved you a fan

Posted at 12:57PM on Jan 4th 2009 by a fan

14. Lying morons who believe in an alien god, they all need to die.

Posted at 12:53PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Sure

15. Oh no! New evidence that flies in the face of what all you wannabe Columbos have already tried and convicted the Travoltas for! Start screaming that it's a cover-up! Louder! You can't possibly be wrong!! Wow, it's so strange that a lawyer or a publicist would speak for a celebrity. Gee, I've NEVER heard of that! Why would Travolta's lawyer have to issue a statement? Especially right after his child died, I can imagine that what John Travolta really wants to do most is stand in front of a bunch of flashing cameras while moron journalists shove microphones in his face asking him how he feels.

You people are really unbelievably judgmental, pathetic, and sad. You WANT there to be foul play or neglect because this is your entertainment. Even if all evidence shows otherwise, you will believe that Scientology is responsible for this child's death, and you'll go on with your inane accusations. I'm sorry that John Travolta is rich and famous and that you're miserable failures who only can feel good by tearing others down. The real cult is right here on TMZ - you brainless throngs of rubberneckers waiting to chime in with your ignorant and uninformed opinions on every trainwreck and tragedy that comes along.

Posted at 12:56PM on Jan 4th 2009 by Face WHAT?

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