# John Travolta's writing a book? About what! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395 "2004-07-22T19:36:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/1 "2004-07-22T19:36:57Z")
According to an article in [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com)’s gossip column, John Travolta is thinking about writing a book. A source said that “it’s “unclear” whether Travolta will address those tabloid rumors that have haunted him.” What tabloid rumors are those? That he’s a scientologist? That’s not a rumor…it’s fact. I like the guy in many of his roles and I’ve never heard a bad word about him. He’s a good husband and father by most accounts. He’s very likeable. What’s the dish on this guy? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/2 "2004-07-22T19:40:22Z")
That he’s gay? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/3 "2004-07-22T19:48:04Z")
Really! I’ve never heard that (and I never even secretly _thought_ it!). Is this a well-known rumor? Has he been paired with anyone famous? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/4 "2004-07-22T20:04:29Z")
Not that I’ve heard of – I think it’s just standard gossip about a goodlooking movie star. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/5 "2004-07-22T22:28:19Z")
For one he has the spirit of a member of a dead alien race that was lured to earth and destroyed by the evil lord Xenu. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/6 "2004-07-22T22:33:38Z")
That he’s preparing a sequel to “Battlefield Earth?” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/7 "2004-07-22T22:46:36Z")
> [@Chastain86](#): > > That he’s preparing a sequel to “Battlefield Earth?” Hey, leave the horror stories to Stephen King. ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/8 "2004-07-23T02:50:32Z")
Yes, the rumor is that he is gay. And that there was a man who came forward as his lover, but that it was hushed up. I’m not sure when that was supposed to have occurred. Also, there are rumors that his marriage to Kelly Preston was arranged by the Scientologists are part of that hushing up business (she is also a Scientologist). A few years ago there was a man named Michael Pattison who sued the Church of Scientology for charging him for a program to cure him of gayness, to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars and several years (ten maybe? It was a long time). He sued them because (surprise surprise) it didn’t work. He claims they held up Travolta as an example of someone who was cured of gayness by the church. I haven’t been able to find any recent info on that case though. I think it was filed in 98, and the most recent mention I can find is from 2000. Who knows what happened? It would be interesting to find out. There are also persistant rumors that both Cruise and Travolta have tried a time or two to leave the CoS, but were drawn back in. They are held up as such sterling examples of Scientology’s superior techniques for success in life, I seriously doubt they’ll ever get away. They are far too valuable. Okay that’s my contribution to celebrity gossip for the day! Hope it was useful. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/9 "2004-07-23T03:00:19Z")
> [@AveDementia](#): > > I think it was filed in 98, and the most recent mention I can find is from 2000. Who knows what happened? It would be interesting to find out. According to this [missive](http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/pattinson-vs-miscavige.htm) from someone purporting to be Michael Pattinson, the suit was dismissed without prejudice. The post is dated July 31, 2001. I couldn’t find anything newer. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/10 "2004-07-23T04:24:55Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > According to an article in [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com)’s gossip column, John Travolta is thinking about writing a book. You misread - he’s thinking about _reading_ a book. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/11 "2004-07-23T04:43:31Z")
The Washington Post, I believe, ran a story on him a few years back, revealing that his reputation as a pilot isn’t terribly impressive. Those in the Know called him inattentive, sloppy, and error-prone. Apparently, he nearly killed himself and everyone else on board during one particularly bumbling near-accident. ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/12 "2004-07-23T11:32:52Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > According to this [missive](http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/pattinson-vs-miscavige.htm) from someone purporting to be Michael Pattinson, the suit was dismissed without prejudice. The post is dated July 31, 2001. I couldn’t find anything newer. Thanks, **Otto**! I just knew a Doper would come through! It looks like the usual tactics of Scientology worked on getting the lawsuit removed from due process. > [@](#): > > It was dismissed “without prejudice”(which means I can re-file it and adjust for any items that may not be quite so current, i.e. bring it up-to-date) because OSA fair gamed me into bankruptcy and loss of my job, home, car, friends, etc…(a lot of etc’s)… > > Whenever I get financial help from somewhere, in sufficient quantity I will be happy to re-file it as the case has great merit. It would have been nice if it could have gone through. Both for the fight against big scary corporations masquerading as religions and for the fight against the supposed ability to cure people of gayness. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-travoltas-writing-a-book-about-what/256395/13 "2004-07-23T15:13:26Z")
The gayness rumor has been around since the 70s- it’s just in recent years that names have been attached to them. The BATTLEFIELD EARTH sequel btw has been discussed by Travolta, as I think the movie only covered the first half of the book. He’s been quoted as saying something like “BE will find its audience when the second movie comes out.”