According to Star Magazine, John Travolta and Kelly Preston are considering adopting a young boy. They’ve been going through immense grief since their son Jett passed away from a seizure in January, and have been walking around “shell shocked” according to a source. Friends have suggested they adopt a child, and apparently the couple liked the idea enough to start the process.
“They’ve already set adoption plans in motion!” But there won’t be any midnight feedings or diaper duty for the Travoltas. Instead, they’re hoping to bring home a son just a few years younger than their 9-year-old daughter, Ella. In fact, it was Ella’s encouragement that convinced John, 55, and Kelly, 46, to add to their family, adds another source. “Ella said it would make Jett happy to see Mom and Dad smiling again. They really believe another child will benefit the whole family, and it will be a beautiful tribute to Jett.”
The devoted Scientologist couple turned to their church to help with the adoption and will likely work with the same agency that Tom Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman used when they adopted their children, Isabella and Connor, in the 1990s. “The church has access to adoptable Scientology children,” the source explains. “Members encouraged John and Kelly, telling them that bringing another child into their home is the right thing to do.
…They’ve been completely devastated by Jett’s death and “walk around shell-shocked,” says the source who adds that the tragedy has taken a terrible toll on John and Kelly. “Their grief is beyond words. John feels like his heart has been ripped out. He shuts himself in a room for hours, while Kelly grieves alone.”
[From Star, May 18, 2009, print ed.]
It’s a lovely idea to adopt a child. However it worries me that it may be a little too soon. It’s important to make sure they’re not hoping a new child can heal the pain from the loss of Jett. Certainly they’re not looking for a replacement, but perhaps on some level John and Kelly might be hoping a new addition to the family would give them something else to focus on, and be a cause for joy. And while that would be wonderful, that is an tremendous amount of responsibility to put on a child. It sounds like they still need some time to grieve. It hasn’t even been six months yet – and I suspect they’re really still early on in the grief process. They say the loss of a child is something you never really get over, and I would guess they need to wait a while and learn how to live their lives without Jett before they think about adding a new family member.
Spelling police say planning.
“The church has access to adoptable Scientology children.”
Why does that send a shiver through me?
It does seem premature but I guess everyone finds their own way through their grief. Hope it all works out for them.
John should adopt a new hairpiece!
I’m with Geronimo… that passage is a little creepy. My mind automatically goes to thinking their parents must have tried to leave the CoS. I’m sure there’s a more rational explanation.
I certainly hope not, at least not so soon after Jett’s death (“It would be a beautiful tribute to Jett”). What an incredible burden to give to a new child. Anyone knows that you can not replace a lost child with another one. But it seems the Travoltas are very misguided in many ways. Sweet, but misguided.
geronimo and FeeBee: I agree, but this is a very real thing. Did anyone read the article in which Nicole Kidman talked about Isabella (Cruise’s) adoption “going through the church” and being “…complicated. One day that story will be told.” Bizarre.
All the wrong reasons to adopt a child. Any legitimate adoption agency should turn them down under these circumstances… but that still leaves an international adoption available to them…..
I would hope they would wait longer. They seem like devoted parents, and I’m sure they would provide a loving home to any child, but it seems like they’d need more time to heal their family after Jett’s death.
Yes, Scientology squicks me out, but I don’t get that unhealthy Cruise-Holmes feel from these two at all.
They were talking about adopting before Jett passed away!
I see this differently. They may not want Ella to grow up as an only child. It isn’t replacing Jett, but adding to the family. Also, people need different amounts of time to grieve. There is no “set” time. Hopefully, any social workers or health professionals would be in a position to evaluate their readiness to adopt. And the whole process may take awhile, too.
It sounds like they are adopting an older child as a replacement for the child they lost. If so, it’s a very bad idea. A child has a right to be loved and wanted for who he is, not as a replacement for somebody else.
This is totally creepy. Jett Travolta was not on ANY medication when he died. Who doesn’t medicate their child who suffers from chronic severe seizures? I’ll tell you who. These two do NOT need another child, they didn’t do what it took to protect the last one.
I think adopting a child would be a wonderful thing for them to do. Not as a replacement but to be able to give a child the wonderful security and love they are able to provide. Also to give Bella a sibling. No child should ever grow up as a “only child” and as one, I think about what having siblings would have been like and how it would have made my life much happier.
“The church has access to adoptable Scientology children.” Yeah, after the church had their parents secretly k*illed for not paying off their fees or they died undergoing SEA.org or from any of the half-witted toxic ‘purification’ programs of iodine and vegetable oil.
Creepy. These people need kids like a dog needs to drive.
Perhaps they should adopt an autistic child and see if they can get it right this time.
They need some serious grief counselling. Too bad scientology does not allow that.