Saturday, January 24, 2009

TWO DETAINED OVER TRAVOLTA 'SCAM'

Ella Blue Travolta, John Travolta, Jett Travolta and Kelly Preston
The family has returned to their Florida home with Jett's ashes

Police in the Bahamas have detained two people over an alleged plot to extort money from actor John Travolta after the death of his son, officials said.

Jett Travolta, 16, died following a seizure at the family's holiday home on Grand Bahama shortly after New Year.

An ambulance driver and a female senator have been detained and questioned, police said, but no charges have so far been brought.

Authorities have not revealed what the alleged extortion involved.

Some media outlets suggested it was a threat to sell pictures of Jett's body if the actor refused to pay up to $20m (£15m), but later reports suggest that may not be the case.

One of the detainees is ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne, who rushed the boy to hospital, and later spoke publicly of trying to revive him.

Senator Pleasant Bridgewater has also been held since Thursday, police said.

Ms Bridgewater, an attorney from Grand Bahama, is a former member of the Bahamian parliament who was defeated in the 2007 general election. She was later appointed to the Senate.

Jett's body was cremated in the Bahamas and his ashes were returned to Florida, where a memorial service was held near the family home near Ocala.

Jett was the only son of 54-year-old film star John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston, 46. The couple also has an eight-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu.

Travolta's lawyers said making false claims for money was regrettable in a time of such grief.

Police on the islands continue to investigate.
BBC NEWS REPORT.

Labels:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home