Travolta son's diagnosis: Science vs. Scientology?

New York Daily News/April 1, 2006
By George Rush and Joanna Malloy

John Travolta and Kelly Preston are raising their son, Jett, as a good Scientologist, but some wonder if the 14-year-old is the worse for it.

The Travoltas have said Jett suffers from Kawasaki syndrome, an illness characterized by high ­fever, painful rash and lymph-node swelling. Preston has said they've traced the disability to "environmental toxins," specifically carpet-cleaning chemicals.

Three years ago, she told Montel Williams how she put Jett on a detox regimen based on the writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Within a few months, she said, "He ended up getting better," but still "has lots of allergies."

Others suspect Jett may suffer from something more serious — autism.

According to HollywoodInterrupted.com's Mark Ebner, that diagnosis has been corroborated by "no less than five sources (including a media rep from the Autism Society of America, an executive from Cure Autism Now, a major Hollywood producer and parent of an autistic child, and a Hollywood actor-parent)." Officials at two autism groups declined to discuss Jett's condition when we called yesterday.

If Jett is autistic, CultNews.com's Rick Ross suggests, Travolta and Preston may not have sought treatment because Jett "would have go to psychiatrists, and that would be contrary to the teachings of Hubbard." As it happens, Travolta's brother, Joey, has produced a new documentary about autism, "Normal People Scare Me," co-directed by high-functioning autistic teenager Taylor Cross and his mother, Keri Bowers.

Joey, a former special-ed teacher, initially agreed to talk to us, but didn't return calls by deadline. Nor did reps for Travolta or the Church of Scientology.

While Sylvester Stallone, Dan Marino and Doug Flutie, who have autistic children, have long championed research, a source told Ebner, "John Travolta has so far done nothing to help raise awareness about autism."