By the time he played Tony Manero in 1977's Saturday Night Fever, singing and dancing and acting, John Travolta had already been knocking around Hollywood for some 5 years. The next year, it got even better when he starred alongside Olivia Newton-John in Grease. His recurring role on TV's Welcome Back Cotter cemented his wise-cracking, slightly bad boy image.

After that, there were ups and downs, until 1994's Pulp Fiction made him a serious A-list actor. By that time, he was a member of the Church of Scientology and married wife Kelly Preston. They were a kind of golden, shining Hollywood couple.

Then, somewhere around 2010, those stories started coming out. Men came forward and claimed either they had had affairs with Travolta or that he has visited them with unwanted advances. But somehow, in spite of it all,  he has risen above it all. This is in part due to Kelly's "loyalty" and in part due to some killer legal and P.R. representation. He has deservedly gained the name "Teflon John".

But let's have a look at some of those rumors that John Travolta probably wishes would quietly disappear.

15 Doug Gotterba - And Claims Of Affair

Douglas Gotterba is a pilot who worked for John Travolta in the 1980s. He has claimed that the two had a 6-year-long affair. This, of course, was denied by the Travolta camp. When 8 or 10 years ago Gotterba announced his intention of writing a book, Travolta tried (unsuccessfully) to invoke a confidentiality clause in his employment agreement. Thus far, there is no book.

14 The Suit Filed By The Masseur

Okay, there are a whole bunch of stories of John Travolta groping or whatever masseurs in spas. In fact, one guy filed a suit in 2012. Thanks to John's lawyer (we'll get to him in a bit), the suit, like so many before it, just seemed to fizzle and go nowhere. It was dismissed in 2012. As we will see, a guy like Travolta needs a loyal wife and a nasty lawyer.

13 That Awkward Kiss

Now depending on which source you are referencing the guy "kissing" Travolta is either his manny Jeff Katherin or some unidentified sailor. Travolta people say it was a faked-up Photoshop attempt to discredit the star. It looks pretty straightforward to us. Defenders say Jeff is a happily married man with kids. Hey, the same can be said of Travolta!

12 The Death Of His Son Jett In The Bahamas

In 2009, 16-year-old Jett Travolta died in the Bahamas where his family was vacationing. The story was that Jett was autistic and subject to seizures. The Travoltas claimed that Jett had suffered a seizure and bumped his head causing his death. A group of Bahamian officials launched what was described as an "extortion" plot questioning all this. It, of course, went away.

11 Will Somebody Shut Carrie Fisher Up

Carrie Fisher just said what everybody was thinking. Of course, we all know John Travolta is gay, or at least swings both ways. But do we care? No was Ms. Fisher's verdict. The truth is that some people do care and don't like what they see as Travolta's attempts to hide the truth. There is just so much evidence out there. But you got to admire Teflon John on a certain level.

RELATED: 15 Photos That Make Us Miss Carrie Fisher

10 That Tell-All Spa Book By Robert Randolph

Robert Randolph is a guy associated with a number of Los Angeles and Hollywood spas. He wrote a tell-all book called You'll Never Spa In This Town Again. Seems John Travolta featured in it until his lawyer waded in and seems to have succeeded in making it go away. He wrote a letter Randolph claimed was defamatory. Of course, Travolta's lawyer got away with it.

9 Travolta Only Gets Away With It All Because Of His Lawyer

Meet Marty Singer. The guy is a Hollywood lawyer who specializes in making bad things go away. He's acted for Charlie Sheen, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, and Celine Dion. He is, with one notable exception, the guy who can massage and manage anything. The exception? Bill Cosby. He was unceremoniously fired from Cosby's defense team. It was a hopeless case anyway and Singer was probably well shed of it.

RELATED: After Bruce Willis: Everything We Know About Demi Moore's Love Life

8 Scientologist Executive: He's A Bad Boy Who Likes To Take Risks

Karen de la Carriere is a form Scientology officer who left the Church in 2010. Since then, she's been very loud and vocal about the Church and its faults. And Travolta? She's called him a "bad boy who likes to take risky sexual adventures". Well, that seems pretty clear. Of course, both Travolta and the Church say she's nutso. What else would they say?

7 Kelly Preston's Been Brainwashed By Scientology

The Church of Scientology is so secretive about its inner workings that even the most outrageous claims of their actions seem credible. The question is why has Kelly Preston not long since left Travolta and moved on? The answer the conspiracy theorists come up with is that she has been systematically brainwashed by the Church. Our thoughts? She just might love the guy and the lifestyle his money buys, not necessarily in that order.

6 Scientology's "Secret Service" Keeps Travolta Out Of Trouble

Supposedly, the Church of Scientology has an "Office of Special Affairs". Think of it as a cross between the Mafia, the Secret Service, and the CIA. Rumor has it that Travolta is so important to the Church that the "OSA" pulls out all the stops in defending his actions and making the bad news go away. Think mysterious men in trenchcoats knocking on your door. Yes, we know. It sounds ridiculous.

5 Kelly Preston And Charlie Sheen: The Shooting Incident

It's 1990 and Charlie Sheen and Kelly Preston are engaged. It was a brief thing, but had one interesting aspect: During their time together Preston was shot. Now, there are two versions of events. One is Charlie's that Preston accidentally shot herself. The second? That rumor says that Sheen shot Preston accidentally. He still feels the need to talk about it to this day.

RELATED: 20 Lesser-Known Facts About Charlie Sheen's Ex, Denise Richards

4 Travolta And Preston: The Point Of All That Marriage Counseling

Travolta has said that he and Kelly go to marriage counseling a lot. Presumably, it's laid on by the Church of Scientology. He has said it makes their marriage stronger. Others say that the numerous counseling sessions help to diffuse the tensions between Travolta and Preston and keep Preston towing the "support John" line. Did someone mention brainwashing?

3 Travolta's Scared If He Leaves Scientology They Will Out Him

The Church of Scientology is notoriously anti-gay. John Travolta is a big star, a jewel in the crown of Scientology. Rumor has it that while he is a member of the fold, they will do anything to protect him. But if he leaves? It is said he is scared to death to do that, lest they turn on him the way they have on so many other "deserters" and out him.

2 The Scientology Feud Between Travolta And Tom Cruise

You've got two jewels in the Scientology crown standing side by side, seeming equals supporting the cause of Scientology. The reality? You've got two huge, A-list male egos battling it out to be top dog, number one Scientologist. It makes you wonder why Cruise doesn't do a bit of covert surveillance of his own to gain ammunition. It wouldn't be fair. But, hey, it's Hollywood.

1 Can Teflon John Just Last Much Longer?

There are a lot of "ifs" in that question. If Kelly Preston continues to ignore the obvious and talk about their "fun marriage" and if John keeps the Church of Scientology sweet and if nothing irrefutable comes out and on and on, then, yes Teflon John can carry on indefinitely. It's kind of like Carrie Fisher said, who cares?

NEXT: Forgotten Facts About Tom Cruise's Past