John Travolta Sued By Former Pilot And Claimed Ex-Lover Doug Gotterba
Doug Gotterba has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, John Travolta. Gotterba is alleging that he never signed a confidentiality agreement and his lawsuit is in pre-emption of a possible lawsuit by Travolta.
According to Doug Gotterba, he was not only John Travolta's pilot but his lover as well. This prompted threats of legal action by Travolta's lawyer, Marty Singer, according to TMZ. Singer said Gotterba signed a confidentiality agreement that would prevent Gotterba from talking about the actor to the media.
Travolta has been married to Kelly Preston since 1991 and had three children, Jett, Ella Bleu and Benjamin. Jett tragically died in 2009 after suffering a seizure. But Travolta's sexuality has long been questioned, and masseurs have accused him of advances.
Gotterba claimed in the August issue of National Enquirer that shortly after he was hired to become Travolta's pilot, in 1981, the two men engaged in an affair that lasted until 1986. According to Gotterba, his claims led to a letter from Singer that threatened legal action, reports TMZ.
Singer, speaking to TMZ, said, “Mr. Gotterba obviously filed this lawsuit to get his 15 minutes of fame. We plan to get this meritless case promptly dismissed.”
Gotterba's allegations follow similar cases. In May, a masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta claiming sexual abuse after Travolta tried to force him to have sex with him, reports E!. A second masseur also filed a lawsuit against Travolta claiming sexual abuse and sought $2 million in damages, reports Chicago Sun Times.
The Daily Mail reported that Joan Edwards, Travolta's former secretary, backed up Gotterba's claims and said that the two had an affair and that Travolta is gay.
Both masseurs dropped their lawsuits but are currently represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, reports The Telegraph. While Allred's clients dropped their claims they may file new suits, she said, noting, “We believe that the lawsuit should be filed in another court and, therefore, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice. We will be conferring with our client regarding what will happen next in this case.”
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