1. Introduction
Balthazar John Paul Getty III (4 November 1956 – 18 April 2011) was an American actor and film producer. He was the eldest child of John Paul Getty Jr. and Talitha Pol, and the grandson of Jean Paul Getty, founder of the Getty Oil Company.
Getty’s acting career began in 1973 with a role in the film Lisztomania. His breakout role came in 1976 with the title role in the film Bugsy Malone. He later appeared in such films as The Boys from Brazil (1978), The Dead Zone (1983), and Lord of the Flies (1990).
Getty’s personal life was plagued by drug addiction and mental health issues. In 1981, he was kidnapped in Rome and held for ransom by an Italian crime syndicate. His father refused to pay the ransom, and Getty was eventually released after spending more than five months in captivity.
In later years, Getty struggled with drug addiction and mental illness. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was committed to mental institutions on several occasions. He died of a drug overdose in 2011.
2. Early life
Balthazar John Paul Getty III was born on November 4, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, to John Paul Getty Jr. and Gail Harris. His father was an oil company heir and his mother a former model and actress. His parents divorced when he was a toddler and his mother later remarried. Getty was raised in England and Italy before moving to California at age 12. He attended schools in Beverly Hills and dropped out of high school at age 16.
In 1973, at age 16, Getty was kidnapped in Rome by an Italian gang and held for ransom. His father refused to pay the $17 million ransom, leading to his son’s prolonged captivity. After being tortured and spending more than a year in captivity, Getty was finally released in December 1974 after his father agreed to pay $2.9 million. The ordeal left Getty traumatized and he struggled with drug addiction for many years.
In 1981, Getty married Martine Zacher. The couple had two children together, but divorced in 1996. Getty later married Gisela Martineau in 2000. The couple had one child together before divorcing in 2005. Getty continued to struggle with drug addiction and mental health issues throughout his life. He died at his home in England on February 5, 2011, at the age of 54.
3. Kidnapping
Balthazar John Paul Getty III (born 4 October 1956) was the eldest of the four children of John Paul Getty Jr. and Gail Harris. He had two sisters, Aileen Getty and Tara Gabriel Galaxy Gramaphone Getty, and a brother, John Paul Getty III. His father died when he was very young, and his mother remarried.
On 10 July 1973, Getty was abducted in Rome and a ransom of $17 million was demanded for his return. His grandfather, Jean Paul Getty, initially refused to pay the ransom, despite the pleas of his son and daughter-in-law. After months of fruitless negotiations, the kidnappers sent Getty a severed ear as proof that they would carry out their threats if the ransom was not paid. The elder Getty finally agreed to pay $2.2 million, but only if it was paid in cash and only after he had received assurances from the Italian government that he would be reimbursed.
The ransom was paid and Getty was released on 15 December 1973. He was found wandering the streets of Naples, disoriented and suffering from a drug overdose. He was immediately hospitalized and underwent months of treatment for his physical and psychological injuries.
Despite his ordeal, Getty resumed his playboy lifestyle and continued to abuse drugs. In 1981, he suffered a stroke as a result of his drug use which left him paralyzed and effectively ended his partying days. He spent the remainder of his life in a wheelchair, living in seclusion at his mother’s home in England. He died on 5 February 2011, at the age of 54.
4. Aftermath
On July 10, 1973, 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (known as Paul) was abducted in Rome and a ransom of $17 million was demanded for his return. Paul’s father, John Paul Getty Jr., was unable to pay the ransom and his grandfather, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, refused to do so as well.
Paul was eventually released by his captors after his grandfather agreed to pay $2.2 million, but by that time he had been severely tortured and had his right ear cut off. He was found alive but in a coma on December 15, 1973.
Paul Getty III later recovered from his ordeal but was left permanently disfigured. He died in February 2011 at the age of 54.
5. Later life
Balthazar John Paul Getty III (/ˈbɔːlθəzər/; born 4 November 1956) is a British-American former actor and businessman. He is the son of John Paul Getty Jr. and Talitha Pol. His sister is actress Marcheline Bertrand.
Getty’s father died when he was 10, and his mother died when he was 25. His grandfather, Jean Paul Getty, died in 1976.
Getty was married to Gisela Martine Zacher from 1976 to 1984. They have two daughters, Ariadne and Anna.
From 1985 to 1986, Getty was married to model Lisa Taylor.
In 2000, Getty married his third wife, Victoria Holdsworth. They have three children: Arthur John Paul, Cassius Paul, and Aiden.
Getty has struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism for much of his life. In 1981, he suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has been in a wheelchair since then.
Getty has been divorced three times and has five children.
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