John Travolta’s legal worries in the cruise ship sex abuse case are over. On Friday, a federal judge ruled in California that a male cruise ship employee’s lawsuit against the 58 year-old “Grease” star, which asserted that John Travolta sexually assaulted him on the high seas, would not be forced into arbitration as the actor’s attorneys had requested. The matter was headed for open court, but yesterday The Hollywood Reporter learned that the case had been suddenly withdrawn.
Fabian Zanzi filed suit last June, asserting the actor exposed his penis to him in his stateroom, and then forcibly embraced him during a Royal Caribbean cruise in 2009. Zanzi was employed acting as Travolta's personal-suite attendant during the voyage.
Zanzi alleged that while naked, John engaged in “nonconsensual, inappropriate, extreme and outrageous” contact. He sued the actor for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.
Following Friday’s federal court decision, TMZ reports John Travolta was left with the option of fighting the lurid allegations in open court, or reaching a financial settlement with Zanzi.
Marty Singer, attorney for Travolta, had threatened Zanzi with malicious prosecution charges should they prevail. There’s no word from either camp as to why the lawsuit was withdrawn, but many are forming their own conclusions.
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