Secret Tape Could Tell Travolta's Story
People Magazine Reports Man Alleged to Extort $25M from Travolta Wanted to Give Money to Charities, Dubbed "Robin Hood"
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U.S. actor John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Sept. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Kris Ingraham)
However, as CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reported, a videotape secretly recorded by the Bahamian police may do the explaining for him.
Travolta is the prosecution's key witness, and they reportedly have a key piece of evidence as well: former ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourn on tape negotiating with Travolta's lawyer.
Slideshow: John Travolta
According to a People magazine reporter who's seen the tape, Lightbourn asks for $25 million, explaining, "I was poor all my life. ...I wanted to do things for charity..."
Travota's lawyer laughs and says, "You're a Bahamian Robin Hood, man!"
Prosecutors say Lightbourn and local politician Pleasant Bridgewater threatened to go public with a medical form related to the emergency care of Travolta's son, Jett. Travolta's 16-year-old son died in January following a seizure at the family's vacation villa.
Lightbourn, Cobiella reported, was one of the first emergency workers on scene and drove the ambulance that took Jett and his parents part of the way to the hospital. Lightbourn told "Inside Edition" how John Travolta reacted to his son's death.
Lightbourn said, "John himself went in went behind the curtain with tears in his eyes. I can see the sorrow. I can see the love in his eyes for his son."
According to People magazine, Lightbourn settles for $15 million on the tape and promises, "Once this is closed, it's buried deeper than the Titanic."
Both defendants pleaded innocent to extortion charges. Cobiella reported defense attorneys are fighting to keep that videotape out of evidence in the trial. Cobiella said the judge could rule Monday whether the tape could be admitted as evidence.
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