All posts containing the tag: "JettTravolta"
Posted Oct 22nd 2009 12:25AM by TMZ Staff
The judge in the John Travolta extortion case has declared a mistrial, reportedly because of jury misconduct.
Justice Anita Allen released the jury and declared a mistrial after learning that a member of Parliament announced at a political convention that defendant Pleasant Bridgewater -- a former Senator -- had been acquitted by the jury.
It's unclear if jurors had actually reached a verdict. There's an unconfirmed report that one of the jurors may have communicated information to the Parliament member who spoke out.
No word on whether the jury may have reached a verdict on Tarino Lightbourne.
Story developing ...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, judge, mistrial, parliament, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, Tarino Lightbourn, TarinoLightbourn
Posted Oct 5th 2009 11:25AM by TMZ Staff
One of the people accused of attempting to extort John Travolta apparently felt guilty while she was trying to execute the plan.
Audio and video tapes from the police sting operation which targeted Pleasant Bridgewater and Tarino Lightbourne are being played in open court today.
In the tapes, Travolta's attorney can be heard telling the suspects that John couldn't pay the $25 million asking price because "John doesn't have that kind of bread ... not even lying around."
On another tape, Bridgewater can be heard telling John's lawyer, "I just want to get this over with ... I don't want to hear about it again ... I feel so badly about the whole thing."
Travolta claims the suspects threatened to release a "refusal of treatment" document John signed after his son Jett was found unconscious in The Bahamas last year.
Filed under: John Travolta
Tags: blackmail, extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, plot, traino lightbourne, TrainoLightbourne
Posted Oct 5th 2009 7:55AM by TMZ Staff
John Travolta has not broken from Scientology, contrary to recent reports ... this according to sources connected to John.
Travolta testified in the Bahamian extortion case that his late son, Jett, was autistic. Until his testimony, Travolta never publicly acknowledged Jett's illness.
Travolta's silence on autism in years past was consistent with Scientology's unofficial position on the subject.
We're told some Scientology bigwigs are unhappy with John's recognition of Jett's condition, but Travolta remains "firmly committed" to the Church. In fact, we're told, he has used Scientology as "therapy" in trying to cope with Jett's death.
John, we're told, has never had his faith in Scientology shaken in the months following his son's death.
Filed under: John Travolta, Exclusives
Tags: autism, church of scientology, ChurchOfScientology, death, jett, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, psychological illness, PsychologicalIllness, scientology
Posted Sep 29th 2009 6:03PM by TMZ Staff
One of John Travolta's lawyers testified in the extortion trial today that one of the defendants claimed to have a document suggesting Travolta wanted his son, Jett, dead or was negligent in supervising his son.
Allyson Maynard-Gibson told the jury defendant Pleasant Bridgewater approached her and said she was representing Tarino Lightbourne, also a defendant. Gibson says attorney Bridgewater said she had warned Lightbourne that what he was doing was detrimental to the Bahamas, but Lightbourne still wanted to sell the document to Travolta, in return for it remaining private.
In reality, the document was irrelevant -- it merely released the medical professionals in the Bahamas from liability if Travolta decided to fly his son to Florida for medical help.
According to Gibson, Bridgewater told her Lightbourne said there was a big market for all things Travolta, claiming "Inside Edition," "Larry King Live" and Time Magazine wanted to know if he had photos or documents and what they were worth.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, larry king, LarryKing, negligence, pleasantbridgewater, tarino lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne
Posted Sep 29th 2009 12:05PM by TMZ Staff
Sort of a stunning development a few minutes ago in the John Travolta extortion trial.
One of the key players who was involved with the secret taping of conversations between Travolta's lawyers and Pleasant Bridgewater just told the court -- although he was in the room next door listening to the conversations, he never heard anyone demand money in return for keeping documents secret.
The testimony is in conflict with the actual tapes, so what Detective Inspector Sean Saunders said in court is a mystery.
The judge just cleared the courtroom.
UPDATE: They're on a lunch break now.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: bahamas, extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, secret video, SecretVideo
Posted Sep 29th 2009 10:20AM by TMZ Staff
The two defendants in the John Travolta extortion case are in deep trouble today -- the jury will see and hear the secret tapes which authorities say is the smoking gun.
Authorities say the secret police video shows the $25 million extortion plot in all it's glory.
Lawyers for Tarino Lightbourne and Pleasant Bridgewater tried keeping the video from the jury but the judge saw it differently.
We'll let you know how it goes down.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: bahamas, extortion, extortion trial, ExtortionTrial, jett, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, tarino lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 4:26PM by TMZ Staff
John Travolta just testified about the moment he was told his 16-year-old son had passed away.
Travolta told the court this afternoon that sometime after he and his wife Kelly Preston arrived at the hospital, they were told Jett was "not alive."
John said he and Kelly were in the ambulance with Jett on the way to the hospital -- while emergency workers tried to revive his son.
Travolta is finished testifying for the day -- he's expected to return to the stand tomorrow.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: ambulance, dead, hospital, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, kelly preston, KellyPreston, not alive, NotAlive
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 9:21AM by TMZ Staff
John Travolta just walked into court in the Bahamas with wife Kelly Preston -- where he'll testify in the extortion over their son's death.
Travolta will testify about his interaction with the paramedic/defendant while they were trying to save his son. He will also testify about his reaction to the alleged extortion demand.
Travolta arrived at the courthouse surrounded by Bahamas police officers.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta, Exclusives
Tags: bahamas, court, extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, kelly preston, KellyPreston, trial
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
We've learned John Travolta will be the first witness called today in the extortion trial over his son's death -- and after John steps down from the stand, there will be a legal dogfight in the courtroom over what could be the smoking gun in the case.
Sources say Travolta will testify for less than two hours. When he finishes, we're told defense lawyers will mount an objection to the introduction of a secret videotape which allegedly shows the attempted extortion played out.
The video was shot by authorities in the Bahamas. It shows Travolta's lawyers listening attentively as the alleged $25 million extortion demand is laid out on the table.
Prosecutors say former state senator/attorney Pleasant Bridgewater and paramedic Tarino Lightbourne threatened to release an essentially irrelevant document connected to Jett's death unless Travolta anted up.
We're told one video features Bridgewater and another vid puts the spotlight on Lightbourne.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta, Exclusives
Tags: bahamas, extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, pleasantbridgewater, tarinolightbourne
Posted Sep 21st 2009 1:41PM by TMZ Staff
Three men and six women decide if John Travolta was the victim of attempted extortion in the death of his son Jett.
A jury is now in place in the case against paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former senator Pleasant Bridgewater. Prosecutors say the defendants threatened to go public with a document that protected emergency responders from liability. Ironically, the document was irrelevant in Jett's death and it's baffling why the pair allegedly would think Travolta would pay $25 million to keep it under wraps.
Travolta will testify -- probably either tomorrow or Wednesday. We're told John's testimony will focus on his interaction with Lightbourne as they tried to save Jett and on his reaction to the alleged extortion demands.
Lightbourne and Bridgewater have both pleaded "100% not guilty" -- legal trivia: OJ Simpson pleaded "absolutely 100% not guilty" in his murder trial.
Filed under: John Travolta
Tags: extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, John Travolta, JohnTravolta, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, tarino lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne
Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:15AM by TMZ Staff
Sources connected with John Travolta tell TMZ the actor's testimony in the extortion trial over his son's death will focus on two issues -- John's interaction with a paramedic/defendant as they tried to save his son ... and John's emotional reaction to the alleged plot.
As we first reported, Travolta will travel to the Bahamas and take the stand this week in the trial of paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former Senator Pleasant Bridgewater. The pair is accused of trying to extort $25 million from Travolta by threatening to go public with a document that could have relieved medical responders of liability. Ironically, the document had no relevance.
Sources say Travolta will testify about his interaction with paramedic Lightbourne, who tried to revive Jett Travolta after he suffered a massive seizure at the family's Bahamian vacation home.
We're told once the extortion demand was allegedly made, Travolta had no direct contact with any of the alleged extortionists. But sources say prosecutors will ask Travolta about his reaction once he learned of the plot just days after his son's death. This will almost certainly be the most dramatic and emotional part of the trial which could have enormous impact.
Our sources say Kelly Preston will not testify.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta, Exclusives
Tags: bahamas, extortion, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, kelly preston, KellyPreston, Pleasant Bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, Tarino Lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne, trial
Posted Sep 19th 2009 11:00AM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has confirmed John Travolta will testify next week at the extortion trial involving the death of his son, Jett.
Travolta will travel to the Bahamas to testify on behalf of the prosecution. Paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former politician Pleasant Bridgewater allegedly demanded $25 million in return for not going public with a document which authorized paramedics to take 16-year-old Jett to a hospital via ambulance after suffering a massive seizure.
We're told Travolta and wife Kelly Preston are outraged by the alleged extortion plot which authorities say was concocted shortly after Jett's death.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: 25 million, 25Million, bahamas, death, extortion, extortion plot, extortion trial, ExtortionPlot, ExtortionTrial, jett, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, kelly preston, KellyPreston, pleasant bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, seizure, tarino lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne, trial
Posted Sep 12th 2009 10:00AM by TMZ Staff
John Travolta, Kelly Preston, and their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta made an appearance yesterday at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. yesterday.
It was their first public appearance since their son, Jett Travolta, died in the Bahamas in January.
Filed under: John Travolta
Tags: anaheim, disney, ella bleu travolta, EllaBleuTravolta, jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta, kelly preston, KellyPreston
Posted Jun 24th 2009 5:15AM by TMZ Staff
Now we know where John Travolta was when his new movie "The Taking of Pelham 123" was in junket mode -- in South Africa, honoring his late son, Jett.
Travolta rented out the entire Eagles Crag Lodge on the Shamwari Game Reserve earlier this month for his family and close friends, according to hotel staff.
John and his family often traveled there on safari -- something his son truly loved. Someone from the staff said John made it clear he was there to honor Jett.
See Also
Two Plead Not Guilty in Travolta Extortion Case
Filed under: John Travolta
Tags: jett travolta, JettTravolta, john travolta, JohnTravolta
Posted Apr 28th 2009 6:02PM by TMZ Staff
Pleasant Bridgewater and Tarino Lightbourne -- who allegedly conspired to extort John Travolta out of $25 million dollars -- have just pled not guilty in Bahamian court.
Bridgewater -- a former Bahamian Senator -- was charged with abatement to extort and Lightbourne -- Jett's EMT -- with attempted extortion. They allegedly tried to extort Travolta over information surrounding the death of his son, Jett.
We're told John and Obie Wilchcombe, a family friend, will be called as witnesses in the case.
The alleged extortionists' bail remains at $50,000 each.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, John Travolta
Tags: Bahamas, extort, Jett Travolta, JettTravolta, John Travolta, JohnTravolta, Pleasant Bridgewater, PleasantBridgewater, Tarino Lightbourne, TarinoLightbourne
