Gossip: John Travolta

In testifying that his son suffered from autism, John Travolta made a notable break from the teachings of the Church of Scientology.

John Travolta has acknowledged for the first time that his son, Jett, suffered from autism. In painful testimony given during the Bahamas extortion trial linked to Jett’s death in January, Travolta admitted that his son had the disorder, and suffered traumatic seizures every five to 10 days. Travolta’s testimony notably breaks with the teachings of the Church of Scientology, which doesn’t recognize autism as a real affliction. A longtime Scientologist, Travolta has previously claimed Jett suffered from a rare disorder caused by exposure to household chemicals.

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