John Travolta Testifies in Extortion Case

September 23, 2009

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Early Wednesday morning, the actor — wearing a black suit — arrived in a black SUV, surrounded by security, and was escorted into the police station, next door to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Shortly after, John and Kelly Preston — who were holding hands — entered the courthouse.

In front of a jury of six women and three men, a solemn John began his testimony against ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his lawyer, former Bahamian senator Pleasant Bridgewater, who allegedly tried to extort $25 million in exchange for keeping sensitive information about the death of John's 16-year-old son Jett secret.

During his testimony -- which lasted just five minutes before legal arguments interrupted the trial and Judge Anita Allen adjourned court until the afternoon -- John said that on the morning of January 2, he was awoken shortly after 10am by Jett's caretaker Eli Wheaten.

"I ran downstairs to help my son with my wife," John testified. "I took the place of the woman that was doing CPR and she was an employee of the Old Bahama Bay," the luxury resort where the family has property. "[Caretaker] Jeff Katherein was doing compressions and I was doing the breathing and I had asked if an ambulance had been called in and they said that, yes, an ambulance had been called in."

Adding: "My son was autistic. He suffered from a seizure disorder... They would last 45 seconds to a minute."

Kelly, wearing a navy blue short-sleeved dress, looked serious as she watched proceedings from the front row of the gallery. After session was adjourned, she and John left court holding hands and were driven off in a black Ford Expedition.

Yesterday, the prosecution called Bahamian police inspector Andrew Wells to the stand. Wells told the court that he was told John wanted to fly his son to Florida for medical attention instead of having the ambulance transport Jett to a local hospital.

Paramedic Derrex Rolle — Lightbourne's partner — also testified, saying Jett was unresponsive by the time they arrived to the Travolta home on January 2. He said "there was no sign of life" when they examined Jett.

Pick up the new issue of Star, on sale now, for the full story of the nightmare of reliving Jett's death, and how it has brought John and Kelly close again. Plus: The shocking extortion documents!