A judge in the Bahamas has granted John Travolta's request to drop charges against two people who allegedly tried to extort US$25 million from the actor.
Paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney Pleasant Bridgewater were accused of trying to extort the Travoltas by threatening to release private information about their
son Jett's death in January of last year.
Former Bahamian Senator Bridgewater and her client, Lightbourn, allegedly threatened to go to the media if Travolta refused to pay $25 million for a "Refusal to Transport" document he had signed when Jett suffered a fatal seizure.
According to People.com, Bridgewater and Lightbourne reportedly hatched the extortion plot believing the actor would be embarrassed by his decision to sign the document.
Travolta, an avid pilot, had wanted to drive to an airstrip for an emergency flight to Florida, TMZ.com reported.
It was also alleged that Lightbourne threatened to sell stories suggesting Travolta was at fault over Jett's death.
Both Bridgewater and Lightbourne denied the original charges.
The pair went on trial last October, but the judge declared a mistrial after a jury member reportedly leaked the verdict to politicians. Despite the mistrial, the Travoltas originally vowed to fight on, and new court proceedings were scheduled to begin this week.
But the Travoltas have had their fill and the actor, who testified during the original trial, released a statement today saying he'd requested a judge drop the charges entirely. Case dismissed.
"I am grateful and appreciative of the dedication, hard work and support provided by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Royal Bahamas Police Force while handling matters associated with the attempted extortion that targeted my family in January of 2009," Travolta told TMZ in a statement.
"Throughout the investigation and prosecution, my staff and I remained fully supportive of all requests for assistance from law enforcement representatives even though this cooperation was at a great emotional cost to my family," he said.
"Unfortunately, in early October of last year the first trial of this matter resulted in a mistrial. Almost a year later, the long pending status of this matter continued to take a heavy emotional toll on my family causing us to conclude that it was finally time to put this matter behind us," Travolta explained.
"Therefore, after much reflection I concluded that it was in my family's best interest for me not to voluntarily return to The Bahamas to testify a second time at trial. We are thankful to the people of The Bahamas for the friendship, love and support they provided to us during this matter."
Legal woes behind them, the Travolta clan can now prepare to welcome a new addition to the family - Kelly Preston is due to give birth to a baby boy in November.
Announcing Preston's pregnancy earlier in the year, the couple said: "It's impossible to keep a secret - especially one as wonderful as this.
"We want to be the first to share this great news with everyone that we are expecting a new addition to our family.
"We tried for several years, and we didn't think it was going to happen for us. This is a miracle, and we feel blessed."
Good luck to them! Time to put that sorry mess behind them and move on. As my grandmother would say: "If you look back at the past for too long, you'll get a stiff neck."
Onwards and upwards...
Poker Face
Larry King and Ryan Seacrest slaughter Lady Gaga's Poker Face during a radio stint:
Carnage.
You wonderful man...
Uh-oh, when
