Kelly Preston - Kelly Preston: The Chemicals In Our Food Could Cause Autism

Kelly Preston: The Chemicals In Our Food Could Cause Autism

Kelly Preston has broken her silence on the medical conditions that led to the death of her 16-year-old son's death in January 2009. Jett Travolta died during a family vacation on Grand Bahama Island, though he has long suffered from numerous illnesses. 

Speaking on CBS daytime televisions series The Doctors, Preston, 50, explained, "(He) was autistic. He had seizures, and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki syndrome." Perhaps more interestingly, Preston said that she and husband John Travolta had a theory on why humans become autistic, "I strongly believe as a mother, as does my husband, that there are certain contributing factors that lead to autism. And some of it is very much the chemicals in our environment and in our food," she said. John Travolta first publically acknowledged his late son's autism in September 2009, explaining that Jett's seizures would strike every 5 to 10 days and that his son would usually sleep for 12 hours after each minute-long attack. Jett's autism was revealed during the criminal trial of a paramedic and former Bahamas politician accused of trying to extort Travolta for money. The alleged blackmail was connected to a medical liability release document with the Hollywood actor's signature on it. The Pulp Fiction star said the man threatened to sell damaging stories to news outlets and suggested he refused life-saving treatment unless the actor coughed up millions, reported the New York Daily News.

Problems with the jury led to a mistrial, though Travolta eventually dropped the accusations saying he didn't want to endure another trial.