Putting on a brave face: John Travolta makes first public appearance following sensational sexuality claims

Putting on a brave face: John Travolta makes first public appearance following sensational sexuality claims

Hollywood star John Travolta put on a brave face as he made his first public appearance following a series of sensational claims surrounding his sexuality.

The 58-year-old actor attended a star-studded event last night to pay tribute to actress Shirley MacLaine as she received an American Film Institution Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Grease star took to the stage just hours after it was claimed the married actor had a secret six-year affair with his male pilot.

Tribute: The actor took to the stage at the AFI awards to honour Lifetime Achievement recipient Shirley MacLaine

 

Lies: The Grease star's legal team have denied the rumours

Doug Gotterba, now 60, is believed to have been Travolta’s lover back in the 80s but reportedly dumped him after he piled on too much weight and suffered with personal hygiene problems.

The shock claims were made by Travolta’s former secretary, Joan Edwards, who told the National Enquirer: “Of course I knew John was gay.

"Doug is a wonderful guy and we are still good friends. He told me they had a sexual relationship.”

The bombshell claims were also backed by Gotterba’s former boyfriend, who alleged that Doug had told him he had a sexual relationship with Travolta.

Affair: Doug Gotterba claims he was Travolta's lover in the 1980s

 

Robert Britz said: “"Doug said John was constantly grabbing at him, but he put up with his sexual advances because working for him was lucrative.

“But John’s advances eventually started to repulse him.

"Doug said he hated sleeping with John as his body was very hairy and he didn’t like the way he smelled.

"John would also become very heavy between movies.

"Doug said he was huge and it turned him off. The relationship ended shortly thereafter.”

Accusations: The hotel where two masseurs claim Travolta sexually assaulted them

 

Last month, the married dad-of-two was hit with two lawsuits from male masseurs who claimed he made sexual advances towards them.

In one case, the man was seeking $2million damages after he claimed Travolta grabbed his genitals and asked him to take part in a sex act during a massage.

In the second case, another masseur sought $2million for “sexual battery” after claiming the Pulp Fiction star grabbed him between the legs before pleasuring himself.

Travolta’s legal team denied the allegations and both lawsuits were eventually dropped.

Despite the recent bombshells, Travolta looked happy and relaxed as he joined stars including Jennifer Aniston, Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts and Morgan Freeman at the event in Culver City, California.