# John Travolta's Son Dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648 "2009-01-03T00:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/41 "2009-01-03T06:20:56Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > OTOH, as a retired EMT, I know full well that folks who are conscientious and consistent in their medications can seize anyway. I’ve seen it- caught a women as she seized right out of her chair in front of me while we watched the kids in their Tae Kwon Do class. > > So- who can say at this point? They’re going to autopsy him. I would hope they’d see if he had anti-seizure meds in his bloodstream or not. > > You are not supposed to outlive your own children. > > Cartooniverse Scary, scary, scary. As an adult who had childhood onset epilepsy [mild, thank Og], I can just imagine what it’s like for someone to have seizures even though you’re taking your medicine religiously. And yes, you’re not supposed to outlive your child.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/42 "2009-01-03T06:47:31Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I heard a CNN anchor ask a reporter: “Any word on the parents’ reaction?” :rolleyes: > > It’s bad enough to lose a child without the additional pain of media attention. That sounds like it’s right out of the Larry King play book. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/43 "2009-01-03T07:30:33Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > If their religion ( _s.i.c._ ) . . . Nitpick: [_Sic_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sic) is not an abbreviation. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/44 "2009-01-03T07:32:18Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I have little sympathy for celebrities who court all the attention in the world when they are trying to become successful, or when they have a book or a movie to flog, and who then complain about their lack of privacy when some paparazzo tries to get a picture of them at the gym, or on the beach, or whatever. Ultimate example: Madonna. She makes two feature films and a coffee-table book about her sex life, she has a baby and all of a sudden she wants **privacy!** :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/45 "2009-01-03T07:39:56Z")
I read he died from hitting his head on the bathtub. But he could’ve been sitting on the toliet and fell off and hit his head on the tub. Or any number of other things. I doubt the kid was neglected in the strict sense of the word. The Travolta’s sounded like typical Hollywood parents. Lots of nannies and help, spend some time with them, leave and go shoot movies, come back. Maybe the parents aren’t around as much as they should (or could be) but the children most of the time have decent help in the form of nannies and such. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/46 "2009-01-03T07:55:23Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I read he died from hitting his head on the bathtub. But he could’ve been sitting on the toliet and fell off and hit his head on the tub. Or any number of other things. > > I doubt the kid was neglected in the strict sense of the word. The Travolta’s sounded like typical Hollywood parents. Lots of nannies and help, spend some time with them, leave and go shoot movies, come back. Maybe the parents aren’t around as much as they should (or could be) but the children most of the time have decent help in the form of nannies and such. The issue, however, is if the kid was in the care of Scientologists or intelligent folks. I don’t know, because supposedly “high profile” Scientology folks like the Travolta’s are supposedly allowed to do whatever they want, so the kid could have been getting decent care. But if the Travolta’s _strictly_ followed the Scientology bullshit, then odds are the kid _wasn’t_ getting good treatment. I hope he was being treated by real medical professionals, but I wouldn’t be willing to bet on it. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/47 "2009-01-03T11:03:59Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Well i thought what happened was that they hit their head and passed out so they drowned. I might be wrong and showers could be just as dangerous, i just dont see how they’d be more dangerous than any other place and you constantly hear about the seizure/bath death connection. Seizures themselves can be fatal, unfortunately. Rarely, but it can happen. Bathrooms pose an added danger because every surface there is a hard surface. If someone has a seizure in a bathoom and collapses, chances are excellent that he’ll hit his head on something hard, possibly repeatedly depending on the type of seizure. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/48 "2009-01-03T12:13:58Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > But if the Travolta’s _strictly_ followed the Scientology bullshit, then odds are the kid _wasn’t_ getting good treatment. I hope he was being treated by real medical professionals, but I wouldn’t be willing to bet on it. Scientologists are primarily against treatment for _psychological_ disorders, not physical ones. (Those would be Christian Scientists.) The rub is whether or not they consider seizures to be physical or psychological. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/49 "2009-01-03T12:30:56Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I read he died from hitting his head on the bathtub. But he could’ve been sitting on the toliet and fell off and hit his head on the tub. Or any number of other things. > > I doubt the kid was neglected in the strict sense of the word. The Travolta’s sounded like typical Hollywood parents. Lots of nannies and help, spend some time with them, leave and go shoot movies, come back. Maybe the parents aren’t around as much as they should (or could be) but the children most of the time have decent help in the form of nannies and such. They’re as far from “typical Hollywood parents” as you can get. I’ve never read anything negative about them, with the exception of the Scientology thing. They are attentive, involved, hands-on people. They don’t do the party circuit. They are family oriented. Very sad story. That said, someone upthread mentioned that Scientology doesn’t acknowledge mental disorders. My question: is seizure disorder ever related to autism, or were these two distinct problems? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/50 "2009-01-03T12:41:12Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Sure, although i came in mainly because, when i saw the thread title, i was amazed that, even in our celebrity-obsessed society, this death rated a thread of its own. > > I guess the point i was trying to make is that, in my experience the members of the public who get the most outraged by media intrusiveness into the lives of celebrities are often the same people who enable and encourage such behavior by watching ET and buying _People_ magazine.I actually tend to agree with this point. I have little sympathy for celebrities who court all the attention in the world when they are trying to become successful, or when they have a book or a movie to flog, and who then complain about their lack of privacy when some paparazzo tries to get a picture of them at the gym, or on the beach, or whatever. CNN is _People_ now? This was on their front page. I don’t disagree that what passes for “news” today is always something important, but John Travolta is a well-known personality and a tragedy in his personal life makes headlines. I remember when Paul Newman’s son died. It was also front page news, and that was 30 years ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/51 "2009-01-03T13:41:48Z")
I met John briefly once. He impressed me as being very down to earth and very much a family man. No matter what you think of him, it is a horrible, horrible tragedy for his family. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/52 "2009-01-03T14:31:12Z")
While I don’t agree with Scientology one bit, and I haven’t always cared for either of their work, the loss of a child in any capacity is a nightmare. Throw in paparazzi and it multiplies tenfold. The next few weeks will be a hotbed of discussion and rumors regarding his son, possible autism and the nutjob ‘religion’. I feel for the Travolta family in this tragedy, but if their son does have autism (a rumor I never heard.) or other non-scientology approved disorders and they didn’t seek valid medical consul, and this young man’s death was a direct result of such neglect, I hope it brings to light the complete scam Scientology is to save other people from such mental abuse. And some criminal charges, jail time and a public berating for all involved. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/53 "2009-01-03T14:34:05Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > … > That said, someone upthread mentioned that Scientology doesn’t acknowledge mental disorders. My question: is seizure disorder ever related to autism, or were these two distinct problems? Yes. A significant percentage of people with autism also have a seizure disorder as well. Not 100% of course, but the rate is higher than the general public. My assumption is that because autism is a problem with brain abnormalities, those abnormalities can trigger seizures as well in some patients. [http://jcn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/20/1/27](http://jcn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/20/1/27) [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/136/10/1310](http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/136/10/1310) (older study, I’ve never heard the term “partially autistic” before). [http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/does-your-child-have-a-history-of-autism-and-seizures-527336.html](http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/does-your-child-have-a-history-of-autism-and-seizures-527336.html) My nephew who is mid-to-low-functioning has “absence” (“petit-mal”) seizures. My son (high functioning) was screened for seizures when he was first diagnosed and it’s something we keep an eye out for. Seizures are also linked to developmental delays in and of themselves, I believe, even when autism isn’t a factor. [/hijack] I hope like hell that Scientology doesn’t consider autism a mental illness… though as SSRIs (e.g. Prozac) can be useful in managing some of the symptoms in some individuals, who knows. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/54 "2009-01-03T14:41:02Z")
Treating his autism (if he had it) would not have made a difference to his seizure (even though seizures are indeed associated with autism). If it turns out that he had an identified severe seizure disorder that they refused medication for based on their religious beliefs that would be one thing. But barring that this young man’s death seems unlikely to be a direct result of religious beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/55 "2009-01-03T15:15:21Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > So they can then fall through the glass and be cut to pieces? It may not even been the fall that killed Jett, it might have been something to do with the seizure itself. Fall through the glass? WTF? Don’t most shower doors use safety glass these days? You might crack the glass if you hit it with a hammer. Certainly any place someone with Travolta’s money would be staying or living wouldn’t have a flimsy glass shower door. I don’t even have one of those in my house. The article said that he hit his head and died from that. In time we might learn that it was really something else, of course, but one is less likely to suffer a nasty head trauma if they fall in an enclosed space. ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/56 "2009-01-03T16:09:50Z")
Autism isn’t fatal. Treating or not treating it isn’t going to prevent or cause death. Seizures are not a symptom or result of autism, either - two separate disorders that can occur in the same person with different treatments. Regardless, if you don’t know, if you weren’t there, haven’t read or don’t have any real knowledge, then please don’t make uneducated assumptions. A family lost their 16 y.o. child in a tragic accident. Do they really need to be ripped apart further? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/57 "2009-01-03T16:28:04Z")
Ditto what \*\*Mama Zappa \*\*said. Awful news. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/58 "2009-01-03T17:44:57Z")
> [@Salem](#): > > Autism isn’t fatal. Treating or not treating it isn’t going to prevent or cause death. Seizures are not a symptom or result of autism, either - two separate disorders that can occur in the same person with different treatments. Regardless, if you don’t know, if you weren’t there, haven’t read or don’t have any real knowledge, then please don’t make uneducated assumptions. A family lost their 16 y.o. child in a tragic accident. Do they really need to be ripped apart further? Word. I know Scientology is the root of all evil, but at this time I just have sympathy for the Travoltas. It’s a terrible, terrible loss. (I’m no fan of Scientology, but I’m often amazed at how quickly folks on this board will try to blame it for all that goes wrong in the lives of people who are adherents…) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/59 "2009-01-03T17:58:31Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > They’re as far from “typical Hollywood parents” as you can get. I’ve never read anything negative about them, with the exception of the Scientology thing. They are attentive, involved, hands-on people. They don’t do the party circuit. They are family oriented. Very sad story. > ? No one said they did drugs. If you read my post you would have seen it said “The Travolta’s sounded like typical Hollywood parents. Lots of nannies and help, spend some time with them, leave and go shoot movies, come back.” Does it say I said they did drugs. It said my impression of typical Hollywood parents is they have lots of help to raise their kids, unlike most non-Hollywood people. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648/60 "2009-01-03T18:04:56Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Fall through the glass? WTF? Don’t most shower doors use safety glass these days? You might crack the glass if you hit it with a hammer. Certainly any place someone with Travolta’s money would be staying or living wouldn’t have a flimsy glass shower door. I don’t even have one of those in my house. They were in the Bahamas, _not_ the US, that can make a difference in things like building codes. And just because the Travolta’s are wealthy, doesn’t mean that the place they’re staying in would be built with high quality materials. Yes, it improves the chances, but I’ve been in enough high dollar homes made with shoddy construction to know that “You get what you pay for” is **not** always true. > [@Salem](#): > > Autism isn’t fatal. Treating or not treating it isn’t going to prevent or cause death. Seizures are not a symptom or result of autism, either - two separate disorders that can occur in the same person with different treatments. Regardless, if you don’t know, if you weren’t there, haven’t read or don’t have any real knowledge, then please don’t make uneducated assumptions. A family lost their 16 y.o. child in a tragic accident. Do they really need to be ripped apart further? I seriously doubt that the Travolta’s have ever heard of the Straight Dope, much less the message board associated wtih it. > [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Word. I know Scientology is the root of all evil, but at this time I just have sympathy for the Travoltas. It’s a terrible, terrible loss. > > (I’m no fan of Scientology, but I’m often amazed at how quickly folks on this board will try to blame it for all that goes wrong in the lives of people who are adherents…) In this case, its _not_ a huge stretch. People with various conditions have died while under the “care” of Scientologists, Tom Cruise has famously said that if a Scientologist sees a car wreck they are morally obligated to stop and help out, because **only** a Scientologist can truly save the people in a wreck. If the kid _didn’t_ have a seizure disorder (and possibly autism), **most** people would not automatically assume that his parents’ religion might have contributed to his death. Given the Scientologists willingness to blame nearly everything on “evil spirits,” and their labyrinthine church structure, which can control _every_ aspect of a person’s life, its role in his death cannot be ruled out. Hopefully, the Travolta’s did everything parents with their means could do to keep Jett healthy, but until the autopsy is completed (and lets hope that its done by a **non** -scientologist) we cannot say for sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-son-dies/479648.md?page=4)