John Travolta has seen his fair share of gay controversies and allegations that bring his reputation into question.
In September, the gay allegations hovering over John Travolta like a ticking timebomb for years were ticked off again. This time, an ex-Scientology officer is pointing accusing fingers at the actor.
In an explosive memoir titled “A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology,” the writer, Mike Rinder, who ranked among the top officers in the religious organization, claimed he witnessed Travolta kiss a male masseur.
According to him, the organization assigned him to help the then-married star with public relations issues. As they spoke in a hotel suite, the masseur, clad only in a bathrobe, entered the room and kissed the actor on the lips.
Travolta simply responded, “I’ll be in soon,” before the masseur headed toward the bedroom. Rinder admitted that doing so in front of a senior Scientologist was unheard of. Yet, Travolta let his guard down, perhaps an indication of the trust he had in him.
Is John Travolta Gay?
Mike Rinder’s book also named other alleged male lovers, including a porn star and one of his former pilots. The memoir further accused the Church of Scientology of enlisting Rinder to squash the rumors about Travolta’s love life.
He recalled instances where his team had to threaten media outlets with lawsuits to prevent them from leaking stories about Travolta’s sex life, as that would have a negative impact on the church and the perfect depiction of Travolta and Kelly Preston’s perfect marriage. He also alleged the Church of Scientology was anti-gay, adding:
“Much has been made of John’s sexuality, and whatever realities of his sexual orientation may be, I firmly believe he would be more open about it were it not for the stigma he feels due to his strong belief in Scientology.”
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology has since stepped forward to debunk Rinder’s claims. In a statement, they tagged him as a habitual liar seeking to profit from his dishonesty.
John Travolta has also in the past denied the gay rumors thrown his way and has even enjoyed marriages to two different women.
LGBTQ Allys Have Called For Travolta’s Disclosure
Despite the continuous denial of his gay sex allegations, many believe John Travolta is gay for real and simply unwilling to come out of the closet.
In 2012, actress Rashida Jones challenged the movie star to follow in the footsteps of Anderson Cooper and Frank Ocean by coming out.
More importantly, she urged him to come out while still alive rather than let the news break posthumously, as that would encourage more people to step forward and own up to their sexuality.
Two Annonymous Masseurs Accused John Travolta Of Sexual Harassment
Among the gay fingers pointed at Travolta were allegations from two separate masseurs tagged John Does 1 and 2. These individuals accused the actor of groping them during massages.
The accusers, residing in Beverly Hills and Atlanta, respectively filed federal lawsuits against the “Grease” actor in 2012. However, these lawsuits were later dropped after proof of falsehood surfaced.
The first Doe dropped his allegations after it was proven that Travolta was in New York working on a movie on the day of the alleged sexual assault, which took place in Beverly Hills.
Representatives for the actor also slammed the news outlet, The Enquirer, for reporting supposedly false gay claims against the actor.
Fabian Zanzi Vs John Travolta Gay Scandal
Also in 2012, Fabian Zanzi, a former employee of Royal Caribbean Cruises, accused the star of coming onto him in 2009 aboard a ship.
According to court papers, the actor forced his naked form and erect penis against him, causing the plaintiff to experience “pain, shock, embarrassment, distress and fear.”
Eventually, Zanzi and Travolta’s legal representatives signed documents dismissing the suit and preventing the plaintiff from refilling.
John Travolta’s Relationship With Dough Gotterba
The article published in the National Enquirer featured allegations of a relationship between John Travolta and gay pilot Doug Gotterba. Per the article, their paths first crossed in February 1981, when Gotterba interviewed to become a pilot for Travolta’s aircraft company, Alto.
He got the job, and by September of that same year, they had become lovers. The pilot claimed their romance geared off after a trip to Monterey, California, where the actor courted him over a shared bottle of merlot wine.
Following their dinner at the Highlands resort in Carmel, they returned to the hotel room, where Travolta offered to give him a nude massage. Their relationship commenced thereafter, and it became their little secret.
Gotterba also claimed Travolta only dated Brooke Shields as a cover of their ongoing gay affair at his advice. He then highlighted some manipulative behaviors Travolta showed during their relationship, including his jealous sprees, the silent treatment, and the like.
According to the pilot, Travolta once confirmed that even after marrying Kelly Preston, who passed away from breast cancer in 2020, he still preferred men. John Travolta’s team has since dismissed the allegations as ridiculous.
Travolta Denied Claims He Is Homosexual
At the height of his 2014 gay scandal, John Travolta spoke up about the allegations plaguing him. In an interview, he described the resulting scandal as every celebrity’s Achilles heel.
Going further, he painted all the gay claims against him as people’s way of seeking money. On why such rumors kept plaguing him, the star divulged:
“Other people may attack it back more than I do, but I let all the media stuff go a long time ago because I can’t control it. I think that’s why it persists to some degree.”
His attempts to prevent Gotterba from releasing a tell-all memoir about their alleged sexual escapades failed to pull through. In July 2014, a California appeals court judge ruled that the “Face/Off” actor should not stop the pilot from telling his side of the story.
Amid the prevalent gay allegations, some of those closest to Travolta have spoken in his defense. Aside from his wife’s continuous presence by his side until her death from breast cancer, his “Look Who’s Talking” co-star has shut down the gay rumors.
According to her, she knew for certain John Travolta loved women, as she witnessed during their time in the 1989 movie, where they fell in love but refrained from acting on their feelings. He also has a similar story with “Grease” co-star Olivia Newton-John, with whom he shared a strong chemistry off-set but opted to keep their friendship alive rather than act on their feelings.