Accused plead not guilty in Travolta extortion

A former Senator and her fellow defendant entered pleas of ‘Not guilty’ today in response to the charge that they attempted to extort $25-million from John Travolta and his family, following the death of the movie star’s son.

The accused pair, Pleasant Bridgewater and Tarino Lightbourne are charged with demanding the cash after the tragic death of Mr. Travolta’s 16-year old son, Jett, on the island of Grand Bahama in January.

Jett collapsed after a seizure at the family’s vacation home on the island and Mr. Lightbourne was among the medical team who attended the scene. All attempts to revive the young man were fruitless and he was cremated soon after, then returned to the Travolta’s Florida home for a private funeral so the family could say their goodbyes.

The two defendants are said to have demanded the money in return for suppressing a document used at the scene, which they claimed could cause Mr. Travolta some trouble if it was released. Ms Bridgewater resigned from the Bahamian Senate following her arrest, but still practices law on the island. It’s believed Mr. Lightbourne is now on leave from his post. Both are currently free on $50,000 bail.

Jett was John and his wife, Kelly Preston’s only son. They also have an eight-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu. The trial is currently scheduled to open on September 21.

Source: BBC