Grease actor John Travolta, 66, is said to be facing a “make-or-break” moment over his 45-year commitment to Scientology after the death of his wife Kelly Preston, according to MailOnline. The claims come after the Hollywood star confirmed his other half of almost 30 years had died from breast cancer at the age of 57 on July 12.
In a moving post shared by John at the time, he praised Kelly’s medical team, which reportedly defied the Church’s opposition to cancer treatments.
John penned in a statement: “My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped.”
Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the best for cancer treatment in the United States, and is currently ranked the top hospital in the country for cancer care.
In response, to John’s statement, former Scientology members and friends have praised him and suggested he could be breaking away from the Church.
READ MORE… Kelly Preston: Brother of Travolta’s wife discusses her final moments
They also pointed out that founder L. Ron Hubbard was “really opposed to chemotherapy and radiation”.
Hubbard previously said in his November 1959 lecture, that “cancer is not caused… it always requires a second-dynamic or sexual upset, such as the loss of children or some other mechanism to bring about a condition known as cancer”.
Former member and critic of the Church Jeffrey Augustine told DailyMail.com: “The statement was unequivocal in the support of medical staff… It shows they’ve backed away from Scientology.”
He continued: ‘It’ll hurt to lose your wife of 30 years… there will be grief, it’s human.
“[But] they did it with medicine. This was handled professionally and elegantly, I really admire the way he did it, he made Scientology a non-part of Kelly’s death.”
John and Kelly have been married for 29 years and share two children together Ella, 20, and Benjamin, nine.
Their young son Jett tragically died after suffering a seizure in 2009 aged 16.
Grease legend John wrote in his tribute to the actress: “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer.