John Travolta: Sexual assault lawsuit filed by cruise worker

GlobalPost

Cruise ship attendant Fabian Zanzi claimed in a federal lawsuit that John Travolta sexually assaulted him during a Caribbean cruise in 2009.

According to CNN, Zanzi was assigned to Travolta, 58, as his personal attendant and accused the actor of "harmful and offensive contact" by "removing his bath robe, grabbing plaintiff's hand, and forcing his naked person and erect penis against plaintiff's person," the complaint read. He is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

The cruise ship attendant is the third person to file a complaint against Travolta, reported Fox News. Two male massage therapists accused Travolta of sexual assault at hotels in Los Angeles and Atlanta in April, and later withdrew their legal actions after hiring Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred to handle their case, according to CNN. Allred said at the time she was considering refiling the complaints in another court.

Travolta has denied the allegations through his attorney, saying the men were probably filing the lawsuits in an attempt to attract media attention, Fox News also reported.

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"This is another ludicrous lawsuit with inane claims," said Travolta's attorney, Marty Singer, in a statement. "It is obvious that Mr. Zanzi and his lawyers are looking for their 15 minutes of fame."

Zanzi, who lives in Chile, gained headlines when he came forward with his story last month, according to the New York Daily News. He said the Hollywood actor offered him $12,000 for his "discretion and silence" and that Zanzi was confined to a room for five days by his superiors when he made a complaint about what happened. The ship attendant said he is now receiving treatment for ongoing and "severe" emotional distress.

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