No gay rumor is perhaps more widely accepted than John Travolta and the infamous massage therapists. It seems everyone has an opinion on the actor’s proclivities no matter how many steps removed by pop culture they may be.
Hell, we even ran a piece called Yo, John Travolta, it’s time to come out and here are six reasons why.
That was after a particularly juicy story involving a pilot formerly employed by Travolta’s aircraft company Alto hit The National Enquirer (of all places), and the media went berserk.
Travolta is characteristically tight-lipped over the allegations, but he recently answered questions regarding the “sex stuff” (his words) in an interview with The Daily Beast. Here’s what he had to say:
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Right now, there’s this pending lawsuit from a man who claims to be your former pilot about a romantic relationship. What’s the deal with that?
This is every celebrity’s Achilles heel. It’s just about people wanting money. That’s all. It happens on many levels.
You are a high-profile figure, and as such, it seems like you get targeted a lot more than anyone else with these types of allegations.
Also, I don’t care that much about it. 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.
Do you find it offensive?
I found it most offensive with the loss of my son. I felt like that was the lowest I’d ever felt. Sex stuff is always going to be interesting to somebody, but you stay away from family. You really should. With that, I always felt like the media—not all of the media, but parts of it—went too low there.
Gay or not, it’s almost like, you know, he’s a person with actual feelings or something.
Other notable tidbits from the interview: he actually thinks Battlefield Earth is a “good movie,” he was James Gandolfini’s inspiration to get into acting, and Tarantino chose him over Daniel Day Lewis for the iconic role in Pulp Fiction (which came out 20 years ago, just to make you feel old).
You can read the full interview here.
lcandela123
Queerty comments that interviews with John Travolta are rarely granted, and then it makes snarky, disrespectful remarks about JT and the interview. Maybe that is the reason he rarely grants interviews.
Ron Jackson
Battlefield Earth was a good movie? I think not. It’s the only film I’ve ever walked out on. I was embarrassed for the producers.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@lcandela123: Oh my! You are a tender little bloom aren’t you. Snarky? Disrespectful? Barely! This was equivalent of Queerty giving him a free massage..with all the extras!
Love,
Xenu
X
Cam
I don’t have a huge problem with this closet case because he isn’t attacking gays or, as far as I know, advocating against us, or acting like being called gay is a horrific insult.
That being said, it is a shame, if true that he feels he must live in hiding.
Jarrod
Class.
ymca peter
People, people, people. A ‘masseuse’ always and only indicates a female massage therapist, and ‘masseur’ always a male. The current term is actually ‘massage therapist’, which covers both male and female.’
Stache99
Well, I actually thought “Battlefield Earth” was a good movie. Great actors and lots of camp.
EricNYCity
@ymca peter… THANK YOU!! I’m always correcting people myself. Amazing to me how many people don’t know the difference between masseur & masseuse and that the preferable term is “massage therapist”.
rhino79
To all those yapping about the masseur/-euse distinction, the English language typically doesn’t concern itself with the correct gender of French loanwords, since English doesn’t assign a gender to its nouns and adjectives. Nor do we keep accent marks. Nor do we pronounce French loanwords correctly (i.e. ma?so?os instead of ma?sœz). Sometimes a man is “blonde,” and a woman is someone’s “fiance.” So while you may view the use of masseuse in reference to a male massage therapist as a serious faux pas, you may have to accept it as a fait accompli.
Cam
@Stache99:
THANK YOU! Hey, if people can watch Showgirls for it’s Camp Value, you can watch a Sci Fi movie for the same reason.
Although it’s Sci Fi Battlefield Earth is high camp.
Milk
You can’t get a tighter closet door than this guy. He will be buried with his shame.
Wilberforce
@Cam: I agree, high camp indeed. Beautiful men, a stupid plot, and John T mincing around in an alien costume. It doesn’t get any better.
stanhope
@lcandela123: Girl please! Either this is a cloaked JT or you are looking for John’s support in your run for president of the Bottoms USA club.
michael mellor
Many men have homosexual experiences but have no desire to enter a homosexual relationship. You’re not really gay unless you have a homosexual relationship for at least a month.
Wingfield
Too be fair… It looks like he didn’t even deny it, just stated that it’s people wanting money. Maybe one of these days he’ll finally give it up.
queenrosered
I’m not the least bit surprised at how very wooden his responses are. I had the dubious “honor” of taking one class for free at the Los Angeles Scientology Center. The class was called “bull baiting” and the object was to teach you to sit facing another person who would hurl insults at you, looking for all your “buttons” to push. In my case, I’m a bit heavy so they started with “Look at you, tub of lard! You’re fat!” etc. MY task was to remain as impassive as a stone. No smiling, laughing, frowning, etc. I was to be a real Mt. Rushmore. I finally got the hang of it (after an hour or so) but it’s tough. That’s just ONE example of the way they stunt emotions and deal with any negativity. JT just happens to be better at it than most. He’s had a LOT of practice, LOL! That said, I’ve never been back nor had any desire to. They’re all a load of crap imo.
Cam
@michael mellor: said….. “Many men have homosexual experiences but have no desire to enter a homosexual relationship. You’re not really gay unless you have a homosexual relationship for at least a month”
__________________
Quite possibly one of the stupidest comments ever posted on Queerty.
Nope, you are bi/gay if you are attracted to the same sex. By your logic straight people who haven’t dated aren’t straight.
Your comment just sounds like the type of defense some evangelical or Mormon guy would use when his wife catches him out on the roadside sucking dicks. (Gee, honey, I’m not really gay because I haven’t DATED a man).
Paco
@michael mellor: “You’re not really gay unless you have a homosexual relationship for at least a month.”
WHAT?!?!
Saint Law
@michael mellor: “You’re not really gay unless you have a homosexual relationship for at least a month.”
You tell yourself, as you waddle home sore from all those loads you took behind the truck-stop dumpster.
jmmartin
Who gives a damn if he is gay, straight or bi. He is an accomplished actor who has turned in some superb performances from time to time (I am NOT a fan of action hero type stuff with lots of CGI’S, so when he does one of those I do not watch him.) I started watching him when he did the “Welcome Back” TV show and thought him very good looking. Now that he has matured, he is at least giving us some memorable playing.
lcandela123
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: Oh thank you. No one has called me a tender little bloom in many years. Facing a mid-life crisis now, as I feel invisible at age 50+.
kiriakis1
It would be easy to pity Travolta if he didn’t have a fortune of over a billion dollars and if there weren’t people who believe it’s their religious duty to clean up his meses.
michael mellor
Having a male homosexual experience doesn’t always mean that you are attracted to men. You can have homosexual experiences but not be attracted to males. For example, if you like being penetrated anally by women but can’t find a woman to do it, a man will turn to men.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@lcandela123: You’re a magnificent looking late blooming succulent, dear. Happy to hose you down anytime!
Cobalt Blue
LOL. Big f*cked up fag.
Cobalt Blue
@Cobalt Blue: ” Look Who’s Taking It *p His *ss And Denying The Whole Thing. “
Cam
@michael mellor:
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that….maybe if you say it enough you will convince yourself.
Cam
Ok, I thought it might be accidental but now I can see it’s purposeful.
I posted a comment on here asking Queerty why if you aren’t signed in the comments from certain people on here cannot be seen, for Example, when I am not signed in Saint Law has no comments, after I sign in I can see them. I thought it might be something accidental.
But Queerty removed the comment which would seem to indicate that not only is it done on purpose, that they don’t want anybody to know about it.
Bauhaus
@Cam: Right on! I noticed this with some of my own comments. At first, and until you pointed it out, I thought it was a glitch. Hmm.
jar
@michael mellor: Thank you for clearing that up for us. But I have a follow-up question: Does it have to be a calendar month? For example, if I start a gay relationship on Sept. 3, am I gay as of October 3 or do I have to wait until Oct. 31? Your clarification would be appreciated.
Cam
@jar:
Your comment was drier than Maggie Gallagher’s Vag. (Clapping)