Whitaker, Alley attend Travolta funeral

OCALA, Fla., Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Lisa Marie Presley, Garth Brooks, Forest Whitaker, James Gandolfini and Kirstie Alley were among the 100 or so mourners at Jett Travolta's Florida funeral.

An insider told the Ocala Star-Banner that Brooks' wife Trisha Yearwood and retired baseball icon Cal Ripken Jr. also attended Thursday afternoon's private service at the Jumbolair home of Jett's parents, Hollywood film stars John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

Sixteen-year-old Jett died, reportedly of a seizure, a week ago while on vacation in the Bahamas with his family. He was cremated Monday and his parents brought his ashes home to Florida shortly afterward.

The Star-Banner said Travolta, Preston and their 8-year-old daughter, Ella, arrived for Thursday's memorial after guests were seated in a tent outside the family's home.

Jett's grieving parents both kissed a large photograph of the boy after the service at which a female minister of the Church of Scientology was the only person who spoke, the newspaper said.

No reporters were allowed into the funeral and the family's publicists didn't issue any statements.

However, Whitaker, a close friend of the family who co-starred with Travolta in the films "Phenomenon" and "Battlefield Earth," issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Keisha.

"Our families have had a long, loving friendship and John and Kelly are amazing parents," the statement issued to the Star-Banner said. "We have watched each other's children grow and cannot imagine the loss of Jett. He was a bright and beautiful young man and we are honored to have known him."