John Travolta's Latest Career Move Ties Him to a Scandal-Plagued Reality Star
Have you heard of John Travolta’s latest movie, High Rollers? You are probably in good company if you have no idea what we are talking about, but the film has the iconic actor linked to a very controversial reality star.
The 71-year-old actor is working with Randall Emmett, a former cast member on Bravo TV’s Vanderpump Rules. Besides cheating on ex-fiancée Lala Kent, Emmett found himself in hot water after a 2022 Los Angeles Times exposé accused him of sexual harassment and financial mismanagement on his projects. (He also reportedly overworked Bruce Willis while he was in the early stages of his dementia diagnosis.) Why would an A-list performer like Travolta continue to associate with the controversial filmmaker and his “straight to video” films known as “geezer teezers”
The Guardian described the High Rollers as “a cheap-ass knockoff of Ocean’s Eleven” and “a heart-slowing work of staggering stupidity and charmlessness.” Travolta, who once commanded $20 million per picture, isn’t as in demand as he was in the ’90s, and there’s likely some Hollywood ageism at play when it comes to being offered choice roles.
An anonymous Disney executive told the Daily Mail, “If Travolta had stopped after his Pulp Fiction comeback, he would have gone down in Hollywood history as one of the all-time greats. A legend who came back for one last hurrah. But now he’s like that sad guest who has overstayed his welcome at the party.” The ageism issue is right there if you read between the lines.
Travolta also experience a tremendous loss when his wife, Kelly Preston, died in July 2020 to breast cancer. He has openly spoken about his grief since her passing.
“Mourning is individual and experiencing your own journey is what can lead to healing,” he told Esquire Spain in April 2021. “The most important thing you can do to help another when they are in mourning is to allow them to live it and not complicate it with yours.”
His personal situation likely changed his focus from his career to his family with daughter Ella, 25, and son Benjamin, 14. Travolta and Preston also shared son Jett, who died in 2009 at the age of 16 following a seizure.
If there’s one thing Travolta is known for, it’s a Hollywood comeback. He did with Pulp Fiction after his young career success with Grease and Saturday Night Live, and we have a feeling Travolta will do it again.
Before you go, click here to see the top 10 TV shows that don’t shy away from dealing with grief.