The sh*t has really hit the fan for Scientology lately. Whether it’s rumors of Tom Cruise threatening to beat the crap out of underling Scientologists who were insubordinate (for refusing to beat the crap out of their underlings), to revelations that Tom made former Scientologist Marc Headley talk to a doorknob for hours at a time, to the good news that director Paul Haggis left the cult, they’ve been getting bad press left and right over the last few months. Yet plenty of members are still wholeheartedly on board, and John Travolta and Kelly Preston are among them. They claim they get spiritual counseling from the church over their son Jett’s death nearly every day.
In his first interview since son Jett’s tragic death last January, Scientologist John Travolta says he and his family are relying on almost daily religious counseling sessions to help them cope.
Since the 16-year-old boy died following a seizure, “We’ve been working very hard every day as a family to heal,” Travolta said during a round-table interview (per USA Today) with the cast of his latest film, Old Dogs (out Nov. 25), which also stars wife Kelly Preston and daughter, Ella, 9. “We have our own way of doing it, and it has been helping.”
Travolta, 45, said he has been overwhelmed by all the support. “You need your friends a lot in times like that,” he said. Preston, 47, added that the “outpouring of love from, really, worldwide has been extraordinary. It’s been our friends, our family, our church. We partake in spiritual counseling pretty much daily.”
Still, she said, “It’s a tricky thing. Sometimes, something that’s right for the moment is not right the next day. Being with people who are important to you, being with people that you love, I think that’s what has primarily helped us the most. Sometimes, being alone, too.”
[From Us Weekly]
I feel so badly for what John and Kelly have gone through that I really don’t want to criticize them. I just find it impossible to imagine how Xenu could bring them comfort right now. But I can imagine how my own faith would, and I can imagine how most other religions could. I just can’t imagine it for the volcano alien cult king. On the one hand, I don’t want to judge whatever gets them through this. On the other hand, given all the terrible abuse that’s been revealed about the cult, it’s hard not to worry that the Travoltas are being taken advantage of, and that the cult isn’t just collecting information to hold against them, as they’re known to do in their auditing sessions.
Celebitchy pointed out that the AP estimates there are only 25,000 Scientology members worldwide, even though the church claims they have 10 million. Something tells me they’re putting pressure on the Travoltas to sing their praises. And I’d bet you anything, despite his career, Tom Cruise is going to be embarking on another disastrous Scientology PR campaign soon.
Here’s John in Los Angeles on November 4th. Images thanks to INF Photo.
45?! methinks not. if he’s 45, that means he was 13 when Saturday Night Fever came out?
gotta be a typo. (not yours, JayBird…)
How sad. I can imagine dealing with the death of a child (I have too, under different circumstances) certain things you will want to take a firm grip of and cling to when nothing else seems constant. Especially the life of your own child.
No parent should ever have to bury a child. It is a horrible, horrible thing.
I can more easily accept that John and Kelly are part of the cult because they dont smash it in the publics faces like Tommy girl does.. Tom is a fanatic where as the Travoltas keep quiet about their faith so its hard to critisize them… or something… I dont know. Ive always been a fan of John despite his relations with the “church”… Tom on the other hand… sheesh.
PSA, you’re right, Travolta is 54 or 55, not 45.
I’m very critical of Scientology and think it’s a dangerous cult, but…right now they’re grieving, and you do what you need to do to get through it. Dysfunctional or not, that is their community, their family and friends, so of course they are going to lean on them for support.
Someday, I hope they re-evaluate but for now, I hope they find comfort where they can get it. Though in the meantime, the head loons over there will probably try to take advantage of them somehow.
I’m sorry but this horrible ordeal doesn’t change the fact these two are vile, greedy cultists. they’ve been under public scrutiny for years for denying their sons condition and preaching against autism treatments. after he died they released statements contradicting all their supposed beliefs, because people thought Jett’s accident was due to their neglect.
how can we know that wasn’t yet another lie? IMO there are allot of unanswered questions regarding their children’s safety, and people shouldn’t stop asking them because of this terrible tragedy.
I have a hard time understanding how a group that won’t even acknowledge that your son’s illness even exists, is the group of people you turn to when you need support. Just seems sad.
We think we know celebs like Travolta…and that the pain of losing a child makes him more like the rest of us.
But he is very different. very very strange and I think that we have no idea what makes him tick.
I thought Xenu was the guy that scientology is against. ha. Xenu is not their god, he’s like the devil. i could be wrong…
Money gives you freedom, Scientology takes that away, it is absolute control over every aspect in your life. There are sites saying that John sacrificed his first born to the cult, which is in fact the largest satanic cult in the world right now….scary stuff, regardless.
::I’m very critical of Scientology and think it’s a dangerous cult, but…right now they’re grieving, and you do what you need to do to get through it.::
You mean you go right to the very source of your frustration? This just goes to show how brainwashed these two are. While Jett was alive, they couldn’t acknowledge or even accept he had autism because “it doesn’t exist” according to Scientology. After he died, when it didn’t count anymore, they finally admitted he had it, now that there’s no chance to give him a better quality of life. Then, their son suffered from FREQUENT SEVERE SEIZURES, and they chose to not medicate him AT ALL, because such drugs are psychotropic in nature, and Scientologists don’t believe in those. In other words, their kid died because of their greed and beliefs. And now that he’s gone, instead of acknowledging the truth and admitting their son died because of their ignorance, they are going right back to Scientology, every day no less. Grieving or not, these two are seriously brainwashed and need help. FROM A PSYCHOLOGIST THIS TIME. Some people never learn. How much more do they have to lose to start facing reality?
“We partake in spiritual counseling pretty much daily.”
Aka daily brainwash sessions because for a split second you doubted your “religion.” But I see they pulled you back into the same fold that possibly smothered your son. This “church” is sick.
I completely agree with all the points about Scientology being part of the problem here, a huge part of it. To be blunt though, maybe they just lack the strength right now to overcome that too, if that makes sense. THAT I can understand. Maybe they are just holding on to some concept of life that makes sense after experiencing such a tragedy. Even though logically it makes no sense to a normal person.
Very sad situation all around. That is a pretty tall order to overcome the death of a child and the power a cult has over you. Either of those on their own is extremely difficult.
Too bad. I hate to see somebody looking like they’re about to wise up and make the single most positive move in their life, and then to get sucked back into the maw of the cult. Sad
He tried to leave before, in the 1980s. He realized he was gay and tried to leave, but they basically kidnapped him and reprogrammed him, then he married KP.
I am very sorry for their loss, but for him to reaffirm his commitment to CoS after everything his family has been through at the “church’s” hands, he deserves the cut in work and reputation that are headed his way.
It’s a dangerous cult, plain and simple, and now that their facade is unravelling, they’re grabbing at celebrity straws to “stay” legit.
How can this cult be so powerful with only 25,000 members? How can they have their own army with levels of status with only 25,000 people giving money. Something is wrong.
I hate to sound preachy but…these people need Jesus. Seriously. Their evil alien/Satanic cult will NOT help them, they need a real religion. Anything would be better than Scientology! Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, pagan, Wicca…ANYTHING ELSE (even though I personally recommend Christianity), but they will never find true peace, happiness, or achieve salvation through this cult. Period. I hope they figure this out and LEAVE!
good for him for standing his ground… of all the nasty things we dump on celebrities (most of which I don’t really lose much sleep over because I think their millions probably help soften the blow)… this is by far the worst… not allowing them to have uphold their own personal beliefs… I don’t care how nutty or crazy you think the belief is, it’s still their right… in fact, having some form of spiritual belief to make sense of your world is probably one of the truest ways to find your own meaning in life and one of the best ways to face adversity…
If they really are doing all these “illegal” things like killing people or torturing them or whatever else crap people claim about scientologists to garner fame and money, then the police will deal with it…
I just think it takes a really sad person to have such a harsh opinion about someone’s life philosophy or personal belief… think about it, making fun of someone’s religion is the lowest of the low. That person obviously subscibes to their belief system so adamantly that they base their life on it… people just like to feel like they arae big and smug and powerful and can just crush other people’s dreams or beliefs because that’s probably how you can hurt people the most…
give it a rest I say, let these people continue with their philosophy of life. and I’m glad tom cruise hasn’t quit despite all this public outcry… it just goes to show you there must be something powerful he’s gaining from the philosophy that he hasn’t abandonded it yet… and it takes a great deal of courage to continue upholding your beliefs even when they become detrimental to your career, your public image and people’s overal perception of you…
few people stand up for anything anymore, even if it’s something as stupid as not getting botoxed… these people are standing up for something with absolutely NO public approval… that seriously takes some guts… so i commend them…
Poor Travolta is a fool. His son is dead. Many people believe strongly that the Scientology nonsense was partly to blame for the death because of the way the Travoltas were programmed to deal with their son’s condition. Now he and his wife are subjecting their daughter to the same nonsense, and they are being taken advantage of. I’m sure they walk easier with their thinner wallets, thanks to the Scientology bunch. I’m sure the Scientologists are walking easier too because of the Travoltas’ thinner wallets, all the way to the bank…… What a pitiful story.
pickelhaube, um, no — they don’t need a religion whatsoever. They just need to think for themselves.
Also, I find it amusing when people laugh at Scientologists for believing in body thetans and evil lord Xenu, when many of those critics find faith in a dude who allegedly walked on water and turned water into wine.
Why is one religion perceived as nuttier than the other? Is christianity held in higher esteem just because it’s thousands of years old?
pied… do you really need to harp on the christians right this second does it make you feel better about yourself? why stop there? why not criticize muslims, jews and hindus and buddhists etc… people who attack another person’s beliefs are just insecure human beings who have no other way of feeling intelligent or important in this world… and I find it pathetic that they can’t find a REAL sense of self worth other than feeling superior for calling someone out on something that is obviously very personal and individual…
Zoe – girl said it better than I did – they lack the strength right now to deal with the huge task of recognizing the problem and removing themselves from it. I don’t doubt the impact of Scientology where it concerns their son’s health and his death, but we’re seeing it as outsiders using common sense. They’re dealing with the loss of a child – they’re not thinking rationally about anything else, plus there is the whole brainwashing thing too. Right now, they may not even see any connections or problems between Scientology and what happened, but that’s why I hope SOMEDAY they do. Right now I’d imagine they’re just trying to get through the day.
“Also, I find it amusing when people laugh at Scientologists for believing in body thetans and evil lord Xenu, when many of those critics find faith in a dude who allegedly walked on water and turned water into wine.
Why is one religion perceived as nuttier than the other? Is christianity held in higher esteem just because it’s thousands of years old?”
You took the words right off of my fingertips.
John Travolta was born on February 18 1954. You do the math – not 45.
Scientology born 1952, initially documented as a “church” to help L. Ron Hubbard to avoid paying taxes. A church with no primary, secondary or even tertiary proof that “Xenu” exists. Only the writings of a particularly non talented science fiction writer.
Still classified as a cult that demands high tithing and absolute commitment.
John Travolta lost his son due to bad science fiction and a tax write off.
After his son died it seemed like him and his wife were finally ready to break away,but right back they go!It must be a very powerful cult.Did John really think he was gay and try to leave but they brought him back?Also,it has always bothered me more that john and kelly were scientologist because they dont seem as crazy as tommygirl.why would two smart,rich and seemingly normal people beleive in this shit?
FizXgirl, I see your point on some levels, but you can’t deny that the way this church runs itself is in anyway appropriate. Stalking and intimidating reporters and former church members who speak out is criminal, and not at all in line with a typical religious organization.
If you want to believe that our bodies are inhabited by alien spirits, or that a virgin gave birth, that’s fine. I have some pretty strange beliefs myself. But to harass and cause psychological damage for publicly disagreeing is inexcusable.
Have been a fan of Travolta’s since he cracked me up as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back Kotter back in ’75. Travolta was born on Feb. 18, 1954, making him 55 today. Regardless, he has been a brilliant actor, seemingly nice man, and I’ve read no tabloid trash about this guy — ever. But this Scientology thing… I’ve never understood what that was about. My hunch is that he was just TOO NICE and yes, even, gullible… And from what we’ve heard through the years, once this evil bunch gets you, you are hooked. I wish him well. Let us pray for him. May none of us ever have to bury a child. Never, ever, never. For those who have, God bless you. I’m not a Bible thumper, but I do “believe,” and I do NOT believe Scientology is a good choice! If you have not heard Marc Headley speak or read his book, Blown for Good, please do so! And avoid Scientology with all your heart, soul, and mind.