John Travolta Acknowledges Son's Autism
During today's testimony at the trial of the two men who attempted to extort the actor for $25 million in the Bahamas post tragedy, John Travolta made the first public statement acknowledging his son's illness - autism.
He told the jury that Jett suffered from seizures every 5 to 10 days, stating, "He was autistic. He suffered from a seizure disorder."
According to John, the seizures would last from 45 seconds to a minute.
This must have been a very difficult day for the star, but we wonder if there will be any backlash from the Scientology community, where discussion of developmental disorders is a big no-no.
Stay strong!
[Image via WENN.]
Melrose Place Is Tanking!
…who cares about a backlash? Maybe he is finished with the 'religion' now that his son is gone.
Autism is NOT a mental illness!
Autism is not a mental illness!!
the only thing the church of scientology cares about it making money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noone rip me a new asshole, k? I haven't followed tooooo much of the story, but if Scientology prevented Jett from receiving care he needed, he'd still be alive. Wonder if john & fam will turn away from it. If not,
I seriously doubt there would be a backlash. He is testifying under oath about his son's medical condition. How heartbreaking to have to go through this after losing your beloved son in such a way. My prayers go out to the family.
he needs to mourn and be real…stay strong John..maybe he is done with Scientology…
At thats where the problem lies in the Travoltas recovery,your zany whacked out cult that you belong to said it was not a illness,hence no treatment,Fuck Scientology
Hi there. Autism is NOT a mental illness. It is a developmental disability. Like any other individual, persons with autism can go on to develop mental illness, but mental illness and developmental disabilities are not one and the same.
Thank you very much Mr. Travolta. Thank you for acknowledging your son's autism and therefore finally publically accepting him for who and what he was. My son is also autistic, and my ex-husband will have nothing to do with him due to his autism - because he supposedly isn't 'right in the head'. Thank you for being one of the strong people out there, albeit late, but eventually. Autism is not a weakness of the mind, it is very much a strength.
Thr truth can't hurt. By explaining the real facts, he will support his son (and others with autism) and honor him by protecting him with the truth. Best of luck….
Autism is a developmental disorder, NOT a mental illness.
Perez, I have been a fan forever. But state things you know of… Autism is a developmental disability, not a mental illness. Websters.com will help you!!!!!
Scientology denies the existance of Autism. Interesting that when they are in court under he suddenly admits to it. Maybe he'll finally break with that phoney cult. A real religeon doesn't have to threaten it's memebers to keep them.
OK Perez - You expect us to be knowledgeable about LGBT lifestyle… we expect the same from you about autism.
AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS.
It's a NEUROLOGICAL disease which impacts brain functioning, along with lots of other biological processes in our wonderful human bodies.
Well, what would the church expect him to do? Commit perjury?
Perez, Autism is not a mental illness - it's a developmental disorder. Please publish a correction.
I'm sure they'll have him release a statement saying that Jett's vitamin treatments worked perfectly every time, but he wasn't fit to ever be Clear anyway since he was born handicapped as punishment for something his parents did. Are we supposed to beleive the Travoltas are charging extortion over just a release form? Wasn't the issue really that the manny (who Travolta was caught kissing on the mouth on camera last year) was supposed to be checking in on Jett, but went missing for hours the night Jett died - to keep John company? By the time the manny checked Jett again he was long gone … and JT has to live with it. No one deserves that, no wonder he is so fucked up.
Autism isn't a mental illness.
When are your parents going to acknowledge you being retarded Perez.
On topic- Well at least he finally admitted what we all knew.
Please just stop talking now if you don't know what you're saying! My son has autism… it is NOT a mental illness. Where did you get your info?!
My heart breaks for him. He loved his son, and having to testify due to the greed of those 2 slimes is abhorrent.
Re: claudiaezraeelian – Thanks, you are right, and that needed to be pointed out
AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS! THAT'S LIKE SAYING GAY/LESBIANS ARE MENTALLY ILL!!
Re: Naked Mole Rat – "Autism is not a weakness of the mind, it is very much a strength"——— like they have to work harder for stuff most people take for granted??
Perez..first time commenting…I am pissed. Always read your column..but time to stop the wow factor for your posts. My child has epilepsy..and I can assure you epilepsy is NOT a mental disorder. Nor is autism the last time I checked. IT takes a fool to post this foolishness. Check your facts.
Autism is not a mental illness. As someone said earlier it is a developmental disorder and it is usually diagnosed by a neurologist. Siezure disorder is not always associated with autism. My 5 year old son is on the autism spectrum and he has never had a seizure. My guess is that Jett was both on the autism spectrum *and* suffering from seizure disorder.
It's about time! Too bad he admitted the Autism too late. He might have been able to help Jet sooner.
FUCKING SCIENTOLOGY!!!
.
Perez please be careful before labeling conditions like Autism as a mental illness which it is most certainly not. It just make you seem deeply ignorant.
Autism is NOT a mental illness. Ridiculous that someone could make such a claim. Educate yourself before you talk about important topics…you only make yourself look like an ass.
Autism is not a mental illness.
They put Jett on one anti-seizure medicine and then took him off of that. They didn't put him on another one. They had a photographer as a nanny for a special needs kid.
I have no empathy for them, only a distaste for them and all the lies they told over the last 12 years. And it is all due to their so called religion.
PEREZ!!! AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS
AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS
AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS
AUTISM IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE
PLEASE DON'T ADD BAD INFO, THAT IS WHAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM
RECEIVING APPROPRIATE CARE FOR THEMSESELVES OR THEIR CHILDREN
Re: Naked Mole Rat – I very much agree that Autism isn't a weakness, but a strength. My brother is autistic, and he is one of the smartest people I know!
Hi, my son is autistic, too. And all the comments are correct that autism is a developmental disorder, rather than a mental illness. But in Perez' defense, I do believe that the Church of Scientology does not like to acknowledge mentall illness as well as autism. I think Perez just got mixed up and don't believe he was trying to be mean or intolerant. It's just confusing and if you don't live with autism every day, how would you know?
Re: Inspiration – I wouldn't call Autism a "disease" either. It's not contagious, and doesn't kill people.
Well I dont feel bad for him, I feel bad for his poor son who suffered unnecessarily because of their shame of having an imperfect child, they hid that kid from everyone and now they feel guilty as they should, shame on them I DO NOT FEEL ONE OUNCE OF SYMPATHY FOR HIM
I was born autist and now, hey, I'm talking to you Perez: coucou! I've developed into a "normal" being (with an IQ slightly upper the average). Me a retard? Gosh, we're all retard! And you suffer from OCD Perez, this blog screams to my face. Joing the club of the gagas!
Wonder why he was allowed to be unsupervised in a bath tub with a known track record of seizures in the first place.
Re: jackiemar – Hello jackie, I don't know the state of gravity of your son, but I was born an autist and acceptably "cured" from this,
and that's because my mother sent me to theatre classes at 8 yers old (yes, 8 years old), and it develps a concentration on the communication senses. Hope that helps, but of course I was on the lighter side of the spectrum, but still as a baby was banging my head and probably looked like a complete retard.
FYI… Autism is not a mental illness. It is a communication disorder.
Autism is not a mental illness. It is a developmental disorder. Two very different things!
I have never commented on here before, but as a mother of a son with Autism, I felt compelled this time. First, I have to reiterate such as the others did on here that AUTISM IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS, it is a multi-faceted neurological disability. However, I do think what Perez was trying to convey was that the "Scientology" people ignorantly VIEW Autism as a "Mental Illness" and thus that was why he was questioning the "backlash"…I won't even waste my time commenting on a "backlash" due to a parent acknowledging Autism because that's beyond ridiculous. As far as John Travolta acknowledging his son's issues, I am sure it was painful for him, but it's just unfortunate that he didn't have the strength to do this while his son was still alive. I will not cast judgement on their son's treatment or lack thereof due to the Scientology, but I will cast judgement on the parents for that…they could've used their celebrity to educate and bring awareness to Autism, instead of creating even more mystery and confusion about it. Ignorance + Fear = erroneous public perception of Autism.
Actually, Autism is a NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER..not a mental illness.
Show respect for the many parents of autistic children who read your crappy site and take two seconds to educate yourself before posting, Perez.
Seizure disorders can affect up to about 30% of autistic people but the two do not necessarily go together.
My thoughts go out to the Travoltas. How they handled their son's disorder is really no ones business but their own.
Okay so Jett was autistic. That is John and Kelly's business if they want the public to know. So it took Jett's death for John to say it aloud in a court room why because he was being extorted for money in his sons death. Dam haven't this family gone through enough. Let them have their memories of their only son why rehash a horrible death. People suck doing this to other people.
Jett
R.I.P.
autisim is not an illness. ugh.
Re: Vexation – Thank you vexation, for the encouragement. my son is 5 1/2 and has been receiving various therapies since he was 2 years old. He is considered "high functioning" with autism spectrum disorder. His major issues are a pretty significant language delay and OCD-like behaviors. He currently has an obsession with door locks. I hope with the right help he can find his way in life.
Autism and seizure disorders are two different things. Autism does not cause seizures, but repeated seizures, if severe enough, can cause lack of oxygen to the brain–therefore injuring it and causing autism like characteristics. He could have both it's just that it's two different conditions. Regardless, it appears Jett could not have been more loved and cared for by his parents. I wish them the best on their journey to heal.
Re: caitlin1013 – Caitlin… I'm happy to see your support of your brother! My two daughters think their autistic brother is the smartest and coolest kid around too. You're a good example for everyone.
To all the people who are criticizing the Travoltas for not being open about their son's autism…I just want to say that I don't fault them at all for that. From my own experience, finding out that your child is autistic is very traumatic, confusing, and terrifying. There is so much to learn and so much that is still unknown about the disorder that you never know whether you are doing the right thing or enough to help your kid. I don't think the Travoltas should be expected to shoulder the additional burden of being outspoken advocates for the cause just because they are celebrities. If Jett was having seizures every few days, they had their hands full. Again from my own experience, I tend not to talk about it a lot with people with "typically" developing children and if someone asks me how my son is doing I often just say "fine." If I were a celebrity with the whole world wanting to know what was going on in my personal life all the time, I surely don't know how I would have managed. The Travoltas have the right to deal with their situation in the way that works best for them and if that means keeping to themselves about the situation, so be it.
Setting aside the "mental vs. developmental" controversy, it's nice to see that Travolta has finally accepted his son for what he was. Now time to finally accept what he - himself - is. Come out of the closet already! Scientology is such a bad cover-up for it. As soon as I heard that Will Smith had given loads of money to the cult, an extravagant idea crossed my mind: could Will be a Friend Of Dorothy? That's how bad that is. Seriously.
I dont think Perez is saying Autism is a mental illness he just said that Scientology frowns on talking about mental illness which is true
Barbara/Perez; Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder.
The doctrine of Scientology does not allow for an Autism diagnosis .. so it's interesting as to how John and Kelly could be devout Scientologists.
Strange. Doesn't make sense.
Since when is Autism a "mental illness"??? You're an idiot Perez.
I guess being gay should also be viewed as a "mental illness"? Autism is a developmental disorder. Wow- talk about mental illness.
God bless him…what a horror to have to relive the pain in a court room.
Autism isn't a mental illness, Dickweed, it's a neurological disorder - a MEDICAL condition.
I think it is weird that people are calling the Travoltas "Liars" about their son's condition. To the best of my knowledge, they kept their private lives just that..private, and felt no need to discuss his diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of any disorders he may have had, nor should they have been compelled to just because they are celebrities. No one but them knows what they did for their son, but I'm sure that with the vast array of treatments they had at their disposal and the love they had for their son, they did the VERY BEST they could do for him every day of his short life. As for bathing alone, he was becoming a young man and perhaps they were just starting to allow him some privacy, as do all parents when their children start growing up. It was a tragic accident and to blame the Travoltas for "not seeking care" or "not acknowledging his condition" is downright cruel.
I'd also like to say that just because the Travoltas didn't sing about their son's autism from the rooftops and parade him around in front of cameras doesn't mean that they didn't accept it, or were "hiding" him away. They were being a private family, keeping their kids safe and sound.
Also, for some people who have seizures, meds don't always work - and can make other things worse. If he still had seizures while on the meds, why put him through having to take them?
And what? Their nanny has to be a trained medical person because their son is autistic? Please! How many parents who have autistic kids hire medical professionals for nannys or babysitters?
Leave the family alone. They loved their son and are broken hearted without him.
Perez, please do some research regarding autism before you classify it as a mental illness.
The more Mr. Travolta admits, the more he will heal. Now if we could just get him to admit that his "religion" was a huge reason for his son's death.
I've never commented here before and I was so annoyed by this post I felt I had to. Autism is NOT a mental illness, it is a brain development disorder. It is exactly this kind of total mis-information and lack of research that proves you should never trust what you read online. This kind of incorrect information is the reason why Autism Spectrum Disorders are completely misunderstood. I understand that Perez's point may have been that Scientology does not recognise or understand medical conditions such as Autism or mental illinesses like depression. However if his point was to highlight Scientologys' ignorance of such matters then he should have made the effort to get his facts right. This may be a website for idle gossip and trash but it is read my millions of people and he has a resposiblity to get his facts straight especially when it comes to real, serious matters like Autism.
I wonder if his involvement with Scientology affected any type of treatments/medications his son could have possibly gone on to help with the seizures? Sad.
Perez, once again you've shown your intelligence. Autism is not a mental illness.
h8erh8er- and everyone else, I TOTALLY agree! Autism is a learning disability and I'm so glad JT finally owned up to it! NOTHING to be ashamed of- 1 in 75 children are now being diagnosed as "autistic," and it's only going to increase!!
God Bless all us parents of autistic children, as well as their siblings, and family. Jett will always live in our hearts!
JT, Kelly, and Ella….hugs to you, and may you soon find peace.
The fact that someone would try to extort money from someone who just lost thier child is GROSS. I mean, extorting money alone is gross but this is beyond gross. I cant believe they need to relive all this in this way.
First of all, my prayers are with the family. I have two sons with autism. Autism is a neurological disorder. My oldest son, 22, started having seizures last year. Sadly, seizures are common with autistic children and adults.
Good luck John. My heart goes out to his entire family!
Re: Texas Mom –
They were anything but private about Jett…at first. Kelly couldn't get on enough talks shows talking about how Jett had Kawasaki's disease. She was promoting a scientology regimen called the Purification Run Down. Can you imagine what Jett went through having to spend hours in a sauna taking massive doses of vitamins. Look it up, it must have been pure hell for him. Once it was obvious that Jett was autistic she shut up about it and went to do battle fighting psychiatrists.
John,
I know what it's like to live with a disabled person. It's hart breaking. You see the child's future or really no future. you have all your hopes and dreams when you have a baby and then everything's gone…… Hope you feel better about all this soon. A friend.
John,
I know what it's like to live with a disabled person. It's heart breaking. You see the child's future or really no future. you have all your hopes and dreams when you have a baby and then everything's gone…… Hope you feel better about all this soon. A friend.
Re: You are fat – You are an idiot. Any caring parent in Hollywood would shield their child from the paps; especially if he needed special attention. The Travolta's keep it real and I respect that. It may have been hard to understand that Jett had autisim and did not want to exploit him.
poor kid…. i think they suck for not giving him medication…fuck scientologists
I have an 8 year old son with autism and I am so glad to see John Travolta finally speaking the truth about Jett. There is no shame in admitting your child has autism. The shame is reserved for Big Pharma (think mandated mercury laden vaccines) and the medical establishment in creating this autism tsunami we have now. One in every 100 children are diagnosed with autism at this point. Good for you John, I hope you can finally experience some closure now.
P.S. If one in every 100 children today were going blind, don't you think the government would DO SOMETHING about it? kinda makes you think doesn't it?
I also have to correct you Perez on the grounds that autism is certaintly not a mental illness. I am the cousin of two autistic boys, 5 and 8. They are by far the smartest children i've ever met. One learning how to read at age four and the other learning things the second you tell him them. These boys are sometimes what keep me going. Some people may not be able to deal with the autism that their children have, but my aunt and my uncle dealt just fine. My aunt has told me before that having a child with autism is like waking up every morning and realizing that your child isn't guaranteed a "normal" future. But I beg to differ with my cousins. I look at them and I know they'll make something of themselves. It's amazing that someone can't love a child that they created no matter what their disabilities may be. I'll love my cousins until the day I die and of this I am positive of when everything else may be uncertain. I wish John Travolta nothing but well wishes during this time.
come on john, give scientology the flick L Ron Hubbard is a science fiction writer for gods sake, wake up, its been a bad dream, move on and maybe heaps of other people brainwashed by this cult will go with you. your son would be alive now if not for the bullshit they harp on about.
So many celebrities mis-handle autism, sometimes dangerously. Isn't there a celebrity out there who has the true medical facts who can advocate responsibly?
Oh yeah, and JT and Kelly Preston better not ever give out medical advice to the public again! No Narconon, no CCHR, nothing.
I am so moved by the comments here from people who are pointing out that autism is not a mental illness. It's an easy mistake to make if you aren't familiar. In fact, NPR made the same mistake recently in a story.
I'm just stunned how many people here know about autism and understand it. My daughter has it and we had a difficult time with people at first. Now there seems to be much more understanding. People are nicer about it.
Thanks Perez Readers for pointing this out!!! And thanks to Perez for running the story and being sympathetic to Jett.
Reading through these comments once again, I just wish John Travolta would have realized how much support he could have gotten from all of us who have been through this with members of our families.
I hope people won't feel a need to hide these things in the future. In our town, a wealthy couple is hiding the fact that they have an autistic child. I just hope things change.
Jenny McCarthy is doing a great thing talking about her son. I wish she would focus more on how she deals with his issues and what he is going through instead of talking so much about how she thinks he got autism, but at least she is talking about it.
Re: mom2boys –
Agreed. I wish we could get over the idea that it's somehow shameful.
I'm very open about my daughter—sometimes I let people know ahead of time so they won't be wondering why she is doing certain things—I think many people are pretty nice if they understand what's going on.
It's so sad that John and his wife were denied the right to speak out and tell the truth about their own son. But that stupid cult they belong to denied them that right. Jett WAS autistic and the Travoltas grief I believe is partially from the loss of their son AND the fact their faith let them down. They need to leave that damn cult and go back to a real church
Scientology IS a mental disorder!
Oh dear, John's going to be in big trouble back at the cult. Scientology believes autism doesn't exist and if you say otherwise you are the enemy. Look out behind you John!
LEAVE THE CULT JOHN! NO ONE CARES THAT YOU'RE GAY!
Scientologists are all crazy!!! The boy had autism. His Mother and Father knew it. To hell with what the Scientologist community thinks. That was his SON!!!
john's scientology killed his son. sorry.
I remember seeing Kelly Preston on the Montel Williams show saying her son had Kawasaki Syndrome and talking about how she figured it out by asking all the parents of children in the ped. ICU if they had recently cleaned their carpets. She was talking about how the scientology purification program helped Jett and pushing one of their books on the purification crap. So I guess we know that sauna's, cooking oil and vitamins do not cure Autism or seizure disorders. They are such LIARS. RIP Jett.