WHO'S THE DUDE? Travolta with mostly female fans

First, John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, get accused by a nosy neighbor of neglecting their autistic son, Jett, because Scientology does not allow medical treatment for the disease. Then, John's B-list brother, Joey Travolta, goes and rubs salt in the wound by releasing a documentary about families struggling with the illness—neither John nor Kelly attended the premiere. Next, Travolta reportedly makes a personal call to a BBC executive responsible for an upcoming exposé on Xenu believers, demanding that certain material be removed from the film and personally (and severely) attacking the reporters working on the project. That's not to mention the standard gay innuendo that seems to follow the star like his Bee Gees theme music in Saturday Night Fever. Only one way to help with all of this: Travolta, you're in the PR/ER!

This week, we got advice from Shawn Sachs of Sunshine, Sachs & Associates, a firm that represents massive Hollywood stars (and many fewer Scientologists). Below, Sachs's advice ...

Stop Pushing Scientology On Strangers. Period
"Here' s the problem with what Travolta and Tom Cruise do: They put their beliefs on people. That's not something the public likes. They don't like being told what to do. When you are working with a celeb's public image, you want people to feel like they aren't listening to someone lecture them. Because, really, who is John Travolta to tell us how to live? I'm all for celebrities getting behind causes, but you can't point the finger. You can't insinuate that the public is wrong for believing differently. He will lose a lot of ground there."

Take His Son to the Doctor, For Realz
"Clearly, it sounds like Jett needs some professional care along with a lot of love. Travolta has to do what's medically best for the kid. Steer the ship into the storm. Deal with problems and tell the truth. If you don't, a one-day story becomes a seven-day one."

Show Some Sympathy for the Gays
"John is in an upcoming movie musical, and standing for the idea that gays and lesbians can be treated out of their orientations is going to get him in trouble. I don't know how anyone deals with someone who endorses that someone who is gay has an illness and can be treated; that is the ultimate insult, the ultimate bigotry. That's not someone I would ever want to represent. I don't want a client's blood on my hands!"

Photo: Getty Images