Getty Heir, 47, Found Dead in Hollywood Hills Home, Suffered Blunt Force (Updated)

LAPD investigation underway with no cause of death determined; family has deep ties to Hollywood

Andrew Getty, the grandson of oil baron J. Paul Getty, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Tuesday.

Getty, 47, was discovered in his home in the 2900 block of Montcalm Avenue, in the Hollywood Hills near Mulholland Drive, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Andrew Getty did have several health issues. At this time, it appears as if his death was from natural causes, not criminal in nature. This will have to be confirmed via the coroner’s final report,” a spokesperson for the LAPD told TheWrap in a statement.

A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that Getty was found naked from the waist down in the bathroom of his Hollywood Hills estate Tuesday and appeared to have suffered from some type of blunt-force trauma. It’s unclear whether the injury was caused by a fall or something else.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith, a department spokesman, said it was  “very, very early in the investigation” but based on initial observations, “this does not appear immediately to be a criminal act.”

Los Angeles County coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter told the Associated Press that Getty’s death appeared to be from natural causes but officials need to await the results of further examination and toxicology tests, which could take up to 10 weeks. “The tentative information that we do have is that he was not feeling good for the last couple months,” Winter said, “and he supposedly had an appointment tomorrow [Wednesday] with a personal physician.”

Two weeks prior to his death, Getty sought a restraining order against an unnamed woman, per the Los Angeles Times.

Andrew was the second son born to Gordon and Ann Getty, philanthropists and San Francisco socialites. He wrote and directed an independent horror film called “The Storyteller” starring Sean Patrick Flannery and Brianna Brown in 2005.

In addition to being a namesake for LA landmark The Getty Museum, the Getty family has deep ties to Hollywood.

Andrew’s first cousin Aileen is a renowned AIDS activist, who most recently chaired the 2014 amfAR Inspiration Gala with CAA’s Bryan Lourd, which honored designer Tom Ford. Co-chairs included Matt Bomer, Courteney Cox, Michael Patrick King, Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks.

Andrew’s second cousin is actor Balthazar Getty, known for his role on ABC drama “Brothers & Sisters.” He’ll next serve as a narrator for the educational documentary “Unity.”

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