Travolta trial shines spotlight

During court proceedings in the Bahamas on Sept. 22, John Travolta said that his 16-year-old son Jett, who died after a having a seizure in January, suffered from autism.

“My son was autistic and he suffered from seizure disorder every five to 10 days,” Travolta told the court.

This appeared to be the first time the actor has publicly recognized Jett’s autism — previously he’d said only that his son suffered from Kawasaki disease, a blood disorder.

The fact that Travolta and wife Kelly Preston have not previously recognized their son’s autism has drawn criticism from many. Some have claimed that the Travoltas' longtime devotion to the Church of Scientology — which separates psychiatric conditions from medical conditions — has prevented them from being open about Jett’s autism.