The devoted church actor for 45 years, he defied the church’s opposition to medical cancer treatments.
John Travolta grimly announced that his wife of nearly 30 years had died on Sunday, July 12, of breast cancer at the age of 57, writing that Kelly had “bravely fought with the love and support of many.”
In the post, the 66-year-old actor openly praised Kelly’s medical team, adding, “My family and I will always be grateful to their doctors and nurses at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, all of the medical centers that have helped.”
The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is at the forefront of cancer treatment in the United States and is currently ranked as the nation’s best hospital for cancer care.
Former Scientology members and friends came to praise Travolta and suggested that he separate from the Church, noting that founder L. Ron Hubbard was “really opposed to chemotherapy and radiation,” reports the English newspaper Daily Mail. .
Former member and outspoken critic Jeffrey Augustine told the Daily Mail: “The statement was unequivocal in support of the medical staff … It shows that it has strayed from Scientology.”
Church founder L. Ron Hubbard said at his November 1959 conference that “Cancer is not caused … it always requires a second dynamic or sexual alteration, such as the loss of children or some other mechanism for causing a condition known as Cancer”.
Jeffrey Augustine said: “Hubbard is really opposed to chemotherapy and radiation. But people realize that it is needed when it comes to serious illness.
“In the Church, they would say you lost Jett, so that’s why you have cancer, so we have to endure that.”
“But they did it with medicine. This was handled professionally and elegantly, I really admire the way he did it; it made Scientology not part of Kelly’s death. ”
Travolta, who had joined the Church in 1975, said in his statement that “he would take time in his career for his two sons, Ella Bleu and Benjamin,” adding: “So forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us. for a while”.
This is the second tragedy affecting Travolta after his son Jett died in controversial circumstances in January 2009 at the age of 16.