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John Travolta’s Shocking Reason for Quitting ‘American Gigolo’ Revealed!

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83-year-old Barry Diller is no longer shy about baring all in his new memoir, “Who Knew.” The book has generated quite a buzz lately, particularly for its disclosure that Diller identifies as gay and shares intriguing details from his life and career. However, this revelation is merely one of the numerous juicy tidbits found within the pages – such as the fact that John Travolta nearly played the lead role in “American Gigolo,” but backed out at the last minute due to the film’s “somewhat gay undertones.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the book recounts an incident where Diller claims Travolta feigned emotional distress in Eisner’s office to escape working on the film. Travolta allegedly slumped in a chair, wept, and expressed his inability to perform in “American Gigolo” due to his ongoing grief following the death of his mother in 1978 and the passing of his girlfriend Diana Hyland the year before. Diller, who was CEO of Paramount at the time, writes that Eisner allowed Travolta out of the movie because he appeared too distraught. However, Diller suspected Travolta was pretending and using Eisner’s sympathy to get out of the role, as it was already too late to recast and Travolta was thought to be a perfect fit for the part.

Diller stated that he was convinced Travolta had simply acted during his meeting with Michael, and it seemed that the actor no longer wished to star in “Gigolo” due to its subtle gay undertones making him apprehensive. For several days, he insisted emphatically, “I will not even consider letting him out of the movie, end of story.” However, as we are aware, he eventually gave in and released Travolta from his contract since the part was ultimately played by Richard Gere in a critically acclaimed performance that significantly boosted his career.

Diller’s statements echo what had previously been suggested by director Paul Schrader in 2024. According to Schrader, Travolta’s departure from the movie “American Gigolo” was influenced by three key factors: the loss of his mother, a film failure titled “Moment to Moment,” and the actor’s increasing discomfort with the implied gay undertones in the project.

It’s understandable that Travolta might feel anxious given the persistent speculation about his personal life and sexual orientation. If you’re intrigued, delve deeper into the following section.

That Time Carrie Fisher Outed John Travolta (And That Whole Gawker Debacle, Too)

There have been long-standing speculations about John Travolta’s sexual orientation, despite his marriage to actress Kelly Preston from 1991 until her passing in 2020. These rumors persisted even during his career. In 2012, he was sued by a male masseur, and the issue resurfaced again in 2016 when an older version of Gawker published a report about the actor’s private life.

However, it isn’t the first occasion that Travolta, who is known for his affiliation with Scientology, an organization often accused of encouraging secrecy, had this conversation with a journalist from The Advocate in 2010 with Carrie Fisher, a long-standing friend of his:

Carrie Fisher (The Advocate Interview): “I’m not out of the closet. I was on the roof, and Travolta came over, and he said, ‘So, you’re gay?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m Carrie Fisher.’ He goes, ‘Oh, that’s right!'”

This interaction suggests that Travolta might have been joking or misunderstood the situation.

In the September 2009 edition of ‘Out,’ you provided insights for its “Can I Be Frank?” column, discussing ten facts about straight women that gay men should know. Among them was, “We don’t pay much attention to John Travolta coming out as gay.” Given your long-standing relationship with him, let’s cut right to the chase: Is there any justification for his legal team requesting Gawker to take down a recent article that speculates he performed oral sex?

Indeed! My sentiment towards John has consistently been that we’re aware and indifferent about the matter. Let me clarify, I apologize if his discomfort arises from this, but I can only express my thoughts as they stand. Creating such a legal stir seems to amplify the issue rather than resolve it. So, perhaps, let’s just move past it.

So…there you have it! One reason why Travolta might have hesitated to play a gay or queer character during his peak popularity could be the potential backlash he might face. This is possibly why he took on the film, Perfect, which seems to have hurt his career. It’s unfortunate that anyone feels compelled to conceal their sexuality or worry about negative reactions for being true to themselves – if these rumors are accurate, of course. However, it’s not entirely surprising either, especially considering the experiences of individuals like Diller, who was a gay man married to a woman (fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg) for many years. A person like Diller, who himself lived in a sort of “glass closet,” can likely empathize with this situation.

The Hollywood Reporter

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2025-05-24 02:38

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