The Oprah Winfrey Show

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is shown with guests (L-R) Stevie Wonder, John Travolta, Gayle King and Tina Turner from the Oprah's 50th Birthday Party episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that originally aired on January 29, 2004, in this publicity photograph released on May 24,2011.

John Travolta 'threatened' by paramedic

John Travolta claims a paramedic threatened to blame him for his son's death unless he handed over $18 million.

The 55-year-old actor told a court in Nassau, in the Bahamas, yesterday (30.09.09) that paramedic Tarino Lightbourne said he would accuse John of killing 16-year-old Jett unless he was paid the huge sum. Travolta claims Lightbourne threatened to "imply that the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable in some way".

Lightbourne and his attorney Pleasant Bridgewater are jointly accused of attempting to extort and conspiring to extort by means of threats, charges they both deny. Travolta has previously told the court how he attempted to save his son's life after he suffered a seizure at the family's Caribbean home on January 2, 2009.

He told the jury: "I was awakened by my son's nanny pounding on the door saying Jett was unconscious. I ran downstairs to help my son with my wife. I saw him on the bathroom floor.

"His other nanny Jeff Kathrein and a woman employee were doing CPR. I took the place of the woman. Jeff was doing compressions and I was doing breathing. I asked if an ambulance had been called and I was told, 'Yes.' " Travolta said a defibrillator was used until paramedics arrived about 40 minutes later and Jett was then put on a gurney.

He said: "I spoke with the ambulance driver and asked him if he would take us to the airport." It had previously been claimed in court that Travolta refused medical aid for Jett and wanted him to flown back to the US for treatment. Eventually a paramedic at the scene asked a senior police officer to witness the signing of a "refusal of medical attention" form, which was signed by the 'Pulp Fiction' star.

When the judge asked Travolta if he read the document before signing, the actor said he did not. He added: "Because time was of the essence." Travolta confirmed he had wanted Jett flown to a Florida hospital but it was not made clear why the plans were changed and Jett was taken to the island's Rand Memorial hospital instead of the airport, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The trial continues.

John Travolta "heartbroken" over son's sudden death

Members of the Travolta family are pictured in this undated photograph, released January 4, 2009.

John Travolta's 16-year-old son dies in Bahamas

John Travolta's teenage son, Jett, died in the Bahamas after apparently suffering a seizure and hitting his head at his family's vacation home, authorities said Friday. A house caretaker found Jett, 16, unconscious in a bathroom late Friday morning. He was taken by ambulance to a Freeport hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Police Superintendent Basil Rahming said in a statement.

The teenager had last been seen entering the bathroom on Thursday and had a history of seizures, according to the statement. An autopsy is planned.

Family attorney Michael Ossi said in a statement that Jett died suddenly on Friday. Publicists Samantha Mast and Paul Block released the statement but could not be reached for additional comment.

A local police source said Jett apparently hit his head on the bathtub.

Jett was the oldest child of Travolta, 54, and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, 46, who also have an 8-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu.

Preston has said that Jett became very sick when he was 2 years old and was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, an illness that leads to inflammation of the blood vessels in young children. She blamed household cleaners and fertilizers, and said that a detoxification program based on teachings from the Church of Scientology helped improve his health, according to People magazine.

It is unclear whether Jett was taking any medications for his seizures.

The Scientology Celebrity Center in Los Angeles declined to comment. Both Travolta and Preston are practicing Scientologists.

A spokeswoman for Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport said she could not release any information because of privacy concerns.

The family had arrived in the Bahamas on a private plane Tuesday and was vacationing at their home in the Old Bahama Bay resort community.

"The Travolta family has become like family to us at Old Bahama Bay and we extend our deepest sympathies to them," said Robert Gidel, president of Ginn Resorts, the property's owner.

Family friend and Tampa-based attorney Michael McDermott told the Ocala Star-Banner on Friday that Travolta was "broken up" and noted that "Kelly's very quiet."

"Just say a prayer for them," he added. "That's all you can do at this point."

McDermott said that one of Travolta's close associates was making funeral arrangements in Ocala, Florida, where Travolta has a home.

Travolta, who gained fame as Vinnie Barbarino on the 1970s television show "Welcome Back, Kotter" and the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever," went on to become one of Hollywood's biggest names. He married Preston in 1991.

A television actress, Preston appeared with Travolta in the 2000 film "Battlefield Earth," based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.