Report: John Travolta In The Bahamas, Expected To Testify In Extortion Trial

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FIRST PUBLISHED: September 22, 2009 2:13 PM EDT
LAST UPDATED: September 22, 2009 3:29 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

John Travolta is reportedly in the Bahamas where he is expected to be called as a witness during the trial of two men who stand accused of extortion following the death of his son, Jett.

Paramedic Tarino Lightbourn and his lawyer, Pleasant Bridgewater, have been charged with conspiracy to extort millions of dollars from the actor.

Both have pleaded not guilty.

People reported that Travolta is in the Bahamas and is expected to be an early witness in the trial, but returning to the islands was difficult for the grieving father.

“Going back was hard for him,” a friend of the star told the mag. “The memories were too painful.”

The friend added that Travolta’s attendance at the trial will help his family’s grieving process.

“This is something that has been hanging over their heads, so going and dealing with this matter will help them move on. This is going to be closure for them,” the friend added.

Two witnesses – a paramedic and a police inspector — took the stand on Tuesday morning in a Bahamian court, a source inside the courtroom told Access Hollywood. It is unlikely any more witnesses or Travolta will be called to take the stand today.

On the morning of January 2, Lightbourn was one of the first paramedics to reach the Travoltas after Jett had suffered a seizure. Allegedly, John signed a “refusal to transport” document that morning with sensitive family information, which Lightbourn later allegedly attempted to sell back to the star via Bridgewater, who reached out to a Travolta attorney.

The actor subsequently filed an extortion complaint, which, by Bahamian law, necessitates his appearance in court to testify.

Jett, who was 16, succumbed to a “seizure disorder” while on vacation with his family in Grand Bahama on January 2, according to his death certificate. He was laid to rest following a service in Ocala, Fla., on January 8.

The family has stayed under the radar since, with John, Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Blue making their first public appearance of the year at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim on September 11.

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