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Mourning Mother Kelly Preston Won't Speak About Jett Yet

LilSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:20:00 PDT

To be predeceased by a child is a parent's nightmare that became the sad reality for John Travolta and Kelly Preston when their son died last January. The Hollywood couple has remained out of the public eye as they lament the loss of their late 16-year-old, Jett. In July, it was announced that Kelly would break her silence and speak out about her devastation on a grief and resilience panel at the California Governor's Conference for Women in October. The mourning mother has since (and understandably) pulled out. She said:

"It is with my sincere apologies that I must pull out from speaking at [the] conference. I am sorry, but I truly believed that I could do it. Otherwise I never would have said that I could. But I am still deeply in the process of healing, and it's just too soon."

If you know parents who have lost a child, here are tips for offering your support.

Sugar Bits - George Clooney Returns to ER

PopSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:30:14 PST

As most of you hoped, George Clooney will be returning to ER for one more episode. He is filming with his love interest Julianna Margulies today and tomorrow in LA, and it is expected to air in February. - Life & Style
Barack Obama retook his oath of office last night with Chief Justice John Roberts in "an abundance of caution," since the words were messed up at the inauguration. - CitizenSugar
Dakota Fanning is rumored to be talking to New Moon executives about playing the role of Jane, starring opposite Robert Pattinson in the upcoming Twilight sequel. - E! Online
The Travolta family are alleged victims of a $20 million extortion attempt after people in the Bahamas supposedly threatened John saying they have information about Jett's death. Contrary to initial reports, it is not regarding photos of Jett dying. - TMZ
Kelly Rutherford and her husband will have to testify in court for their custody case today, as a judge determines the best course of action for their son, Hermes. - Us Weekly
Caroline Kennedy withdrew herself from the running for Hillary Clinton's senate seat. There are conflicting reports as to why she did this, although most say it was for personal reasons. - Huffington Post

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Sugar Bits - Ana Ortiz Is Pregnant With Her First Baby

PopSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:30:21 PST

Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz and her husband Noah Lebenzon are having their first child together. The baby is due in July. - Us Weekly
Amy Winehouse threw a glass of water at a fellow tourist while on her St. Lucia vacation and refused to apologize until the hotel informed her the woman might want to press charges. - PopSugar UK
Kevin Costner was briefly hospitalized in LA on Tuesday when he felt ill while driving and had to pull over and call 911. The actor was released on Wednesday, and all of his test results came back normal. - TMZ
Jett Travolta's private memorial service was held yesterday, and celebrities such as Lisa Marie Presley, Garth Brooks, and Forest Whitaker attended. - Ocala Star-Banner
Chandra Wilson revealed that TR Knight's character name is still on all of the scripts so she doesn't believe the rumor he is leaving Grey's Anatomy. - E! Online

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Sugar Bits - Josh Brolin Cleared of Charges

PopSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:30:52 PST

All charges were dismissed against Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright after they were arrested in a bar brawl with cops in Shreveport last July. - TMZ
The woman who unknowingly acted as a decoy for Jamie Lynn Spears is suing the LAX police department for $2 million to compensate her for the "humiliation, fear and harassment" she felt after being swarmed by paparazzi. - E! Online
The Travolta family is holding a memorial service for Jett tomorrow in Ocala, FL, and it will only be open to family and close friends. - Access Hollywood
Pete Wentz wrote a post implying he is temporarily stopping his blog, writing out the definition of "unplugged" and titling it "just for awhile. see you soon." - Pete Wentz's blog
U2 announced that they will most likely be releasing a rock and roll Spiderman musical on Broadway this year. The band said it has finalized some songs and might have the play open in New York. - The Sun
ICYMI Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck welcomed a baby girl yesterday in LA. Her name has not been released yet.

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Kiddie Wellness: Seizures

LilSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:00:00 PST

Jett Travolta, the beloved teenage son of actors, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, died of a seizure. While it is impossible to be with your offspring at all times, you may want to take precaution in the wake of this tragedy if your child suffers from seizures. Dr. Marie Savard explained that though it's unlikely, there are two reasons the episodes can prove fatal.

Sugar Bits - Patrick Swayze Opens Up to Barbara Walters

PopSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:30:39 PST

Patrick Swayze's first television interview since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer airs tomorrow on 20/20. He reveals how tough the battle with his illness has been. - ABC
Jett Travolta's body was cremated yesterday, and his autopsy results concluded his death was directly caused by a seizure. His ashes have been flown back to Florida with his parents. - AP
Jessica Simpson is featured in the Dallas Cowboys cookbook, which is presented by the team's wives. In it, she jokes that her occupation is "hairdresser" and provides her and Tony's favorite family recipes. - Us Weekly
Patricia Arquette filed for divorce from her husband Thomas Jane, citing irreconcilable differences, and is seeking custody of their 5-year-old daughter, Harlow, with visitation rights for Thomas. - E! Online
Tim Allen and his wife of more than two years, Jane Hajduk, are expecting their first baby due in the Spring. - Entertainment Tonight
Craig Ferguson secretly married his girlfriend Megan Wallace Cunningham in Vermont over the holidays, he announced on his show last night. - People
While Madonna is still rumored to be involved with Jesus Luz, her friend Donna Karan supposedly made advances on Alex Rodriguez on New Year's but he turned her down. - Page Six

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John Travolta's Son Dies From Possible Complications of Kawasaki Disease

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:00 PST

Sad news came over the weekend when John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son, Jett Travolta, passed away while on vacation in the Bahamas. At only 16 years old, Jett reportedly was found in a bathtub on Friday, Jan. 2., after suffering from a seizure and hitting his head.

At age two, Jett was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a condition that involves swelling of the arteries, which can cause serious complications involving heart and blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart. Kawasaki disease can cause aneurysms, which can cause fatal heart attacks. It's not clear though whether Jett's death was a result of Kawasaki disease.

To hear more about Jett's condition

Jett had also been suffering from seizures his entire life, on an average of one every four days. Travolta's lawyers said, "each seizure was like a death," since Jett would convulse and lose consciousness. To prevent these episodes, Jett had been taking Depakote, a strong antiseizure medication. The stories stating that John refused to give his son the medicine because of his Scientology views are not true. The drug helped tremendously in the beginning, reducing the frequency of Jett's seizures to one every three weeks, but eventually, the drug lost its effectiveness, and Jett's seizures returned to a frequency of once a week. After consulting with neurosurgeons, Travolta and Preston decided to stop using Depakote, although there's no evidence that discontinuation of the drug caused Jett's seizure. An autopsy is scheduled for today with the hope that details on the cause of Jett's death will be revealed.

Our hearts and sympathies go out to John and Kelly's family and friends during this tragic and difficult time.

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Sugar Bits - Autopsy for Jett Travolta Begins Today

PopSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:30:36 PST

Jett Travolta's autopsy will be performed today in the Bahamas, following the 16-year-old's tragic death at the end of last week. John Travolta and his wife released a statement expressing their gratitude for everyone's condolences. - Us Weekly
Marley & Me topped the box office once again this weekend, earning more than $100 million in 11 days. Bedtime Stories came in second place with Benjamin Button in third. - BuzzSugar
Will Smith brought in the highest box office revenue for 2008, mostly thanks to Hancock. Robert Downey Jr., Christian Bale, and Shia LaBeouf followed Will on the list. - AP
A pregnant Kelly Rutherford filed for divorce from her husband, millionaire Daniel Giersch, on Dec. 30, citing irreconcilable differences. - People
Heather Locklear plead no contest to reckless driving, and her DUI charge was dismissed in Santa Barbara court on Friday morning. - TMZ
Katy Perry and Travis McCoy are rumored to have split up right before New Year's after traveling to Mexico together. Travis posted some song lyrics that seemed to be about the breakup on his blog. - E! Online

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How to Help Parents Grieving the Loss of a Child

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:00:36 PST

Actor John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston suffered a devastating loss on Friday when their 16-year-old son, Jett, died. Being predeceased by a child is a parent's worst nightmare. The mere thought of losing one's offspring is enough to bring a mother or father to tears. The reality is difficult to fathom so finding the words to appropriately comfort someone who is grieving such a loss can be hard. Here are some tips to use in coping with the sensitive task of supporting a parent whose child has died.

Behave naturally
Show genuine concern
Offer love patiently and unconditionally

To see the rest of the suggestions,

Offer hugs or an arm around the shoulder, as appropriate
Sit next to the person who wants closeness
Make it clear that you are there to listen
Express your care and concern
Say that you are sorry about the loss
Say “I love you” if you feel close enough
Talk openly and directly about the person who died
Cry if you feel like crying
Keep in mind that evenings, weekends, anniversaries and holidays can be extra challenging times.

Our hearts go out to the Travolta family.
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John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Statement About Jett's Death

Molly — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:17:02 PST

As more details start to emerge about John Travolta and Kelly Preston's 16-year-old son, Jett's tragic death on Friday, fans of the famous family have been expressing their condolences and sadness. After working on it for some time, the family released a statement today on both John and Kelly's websites. It says:

"We would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has sent their love and condolences. Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered. We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives. We have received many messages of condolence from around the world and we want to thank everyone for their prayers and support. It has meant so much to us. It is a beautiful reminder of the inherent goodness in the human spirit that gives us hope for a brighter future.
With love, John, Kelly and Ella"

Our thoughts remain with the family and their loved ones during this unimaginably heartbreaking time. At least it sounds like they are surrounded by support from their friends near and far as they begin to cope with the tragedy.

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