Andrew Getty, the 47-year-old grandson of late businessman and oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, died Tuesday in his Los Angeles home, according to a statement from his family. KTLA reports Getty’s ex-girlfriend, 32-year-old Lanessa De Jonge, placed a 911 call at around 2 p.m. Tuesday after finding him on the floor of his Hollywood Hills mansion.
According to TMZ, Andrew had been taking medication for stomach issues and was scheduled to see a doctor Wednesday, a day after he was found dead with blood visible in the area around his rectum.
The LAPD would not disclose Andrew’s identity, but his parents, Ann and Gordon Getty, confirmed his death through in a statement released by family spokesman Larry Kamer:
“Andrew Getty, 47, died this afternoon at his home in Los Angeles,” the statement reads. “The family has requested that members of the media and the public respect its privacy during this extremely difficult time. Further statements will be issued as information becomes available.”
TMZ reports De Jonge went to the home Tuesday to check on Getty after urging him to seek medical attention regarding “painful bowel movements.” Law enforcement sources told the site Getty was found lying on his side, in between his bathroom and hallway, and believe he was trying to make it to the bathroom when he collapsed.
De Jonge reportedly told her parents last weekend she was worried about Getty’s condition and had been trying to convince him to see a doctor.
Police initially detained her after they deemed the circumstances surrounding the death suspicious. However, investigators now believe the death was from either natural or accidental causes and will be awaiting toxicology tests to determine if drugs were involved.
The Los Angeles Times reports Getty took out a restraining order against De Jonge, with whom he had been on-again, off-again for four years, after a March 15 incident in which he alleged she “kicked and hit me repeatedly.” A judge granted the request and scheduled a hearing for April 6.
“As she is aware, I have a serious medical condition and if my blood pressure rises I am at serious risk of injury or death,” Getty wrote. “Given her mental health history, I fear the situation will only worsen before she is once again deemed a threat to herself or others and forcibly removed by the police.”
The documents also stated that De Jonge was aware of the health problems and had been extorting Getty for money. Sources report the LAPD had been to the residence 31 times previously, mostly for domestic disturbances, and that both parties had frequently been under the influence of drugs during the visits.
Andrew’s father, Gordon Getty, is the billionaire son of the late J. Paul Getty, whose oil fortune made his family one of the wealthiest in U.S. history. J. Paul Getty died in 1976 at age 82.
His massive art collection is currently displayed at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA. At the time of his death, Getty gave $1.2 billion to his charitable trust, the Getty Foundation, to be used toward endowment of the arts.
Andrew Getty was described as a horror movie buff, and was in the process of shooting a film in the genre when he died. Investigators reportedly found movie props in his dining room and other parts of the home, which included a mechanical arm.
According to his IMDB page, Getty directed a 2005 horror film titled The Storyteller.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.