April 01--Andrew Getty, an heir to the billion-dollar Getty oil fortune who was found dead at his Hollywood Hills home Tuesday, suffered from a serious medical condition that put him at "grave risk of substantial and irreparable injury or death," according to court documents.
The 47-year-old did not specify what his condition was in the documents, which were filed March 16 in support of a restraining order he sought against Lanessa DeJonge, who police described as an on-again, off-again girlfriend of Getty's.
But Getty said his doctors had advised "that heated arguments can cause my blood pressure to rise dangerously," putting him at "serious risk." Getty said he was diagnosed with the condition in the fall of 2013.
Police said they chose to perform a full investigation Tuesday night at his Hollywood Hills mansion because Getty was found in his bathroom surrounded by significant amounts of blood.
Police and medical officials determined the blood was not the result of a crime but rather related to some type of medical problem. A law enforcement source said Getty was naked from the waist down.
"He had a whole plethora of medical issues," said LAPD Capt. William Hayes. "We believe it is a natural-caused death."
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Hayes confirmed that DeJonge was the woman who discovered Getty's body Tuesday afternoon, but said there was "no nexus between his death and her." DeJonge could not immediately be reached for comment.
Getty had sought the restraining order against DeJonge after a March 15 incident, when he alleged she "kicked and hit me repeatedly" and threw "everything" from a car. A judge granted the request and scheduled a hearing for April 6.
The court documents described two prior encounters involving Getty and DeJonge, including an August incident that also prompted him to seek a restraining order. Getty wrote that DeJonge "became deranged" and was "arguing with imaginary people" along with himself and another woman.
"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 one again deemed a threat to herself or others and forcibly removed by the police."
During another argument at Getty's home, Getty said, DeJonge sprayed him with pepper spray.
Getty wrote that DeJonge knew about his medical condition, and "exploited this information to demand money and property from me, refusing to leave my house." He said that he had helped her move into her own apartment, but she showed up at his door after a fire rendered her home uninhabitable. He did not specify when this occurred.
"I let her in and within days she became deranged, called the police, and soon she was back in custody," Getty wrote. "Recently she was released from jail. She asked if she could stop by my house to pick up some belongings. She arrived and has since refused to leave."
Investigators recovered prescription medication at the house and learned Getty had not been feeling well in recent months, said coroner's spokesman Ed Winter. A physician's appointment had been scheduled for Wednesday.
A time of death has not been determined, but a preliminary investigation suggested foul play was not involved, authorities said. A security hold -- a directive from detectives to the coroner's office not to publicly disclose further details about a case--has been placed on Getty's coroner's file.
In San Francisco on Tuesday night, Ann and Gordon Getty confirmed their son's death in a statement in which they asked for privacy during an "extremely difficult time."
A woman who was described as a friend of Getty's discovered the body and called 911 about 2:18 p.m., officials said. A law enforcement source said there were no immediate indication she was involved in Getty's death.
Just two weeks ago, Getty had sought a restraining order against a woman, according to court records. His attorney declined to comment.
Getty was the grandson of oil baron J. Paul Getty and part of the Getty Trust. He is one of four sons of Ann and Gordon Getty, one of J. Paul Getty's three surviving sons.
Andrew Getty's death is the latest misfortune to befall the wealthy family.
J. Paul Getty's fifth son -- the only child he had with his fifth wife -- died of a brain tumor in 1958 at age 12, and another son died of a suspected suicide in 1973.
That same year, J. Paul Getty III -- J. Paul Getty's grandson and Andrew Getty's cousin -- was kidnapped in Italy and held for ransom for more than five months.
The 16-year-old was released after the family paid $2.8 million to the kidnappers, who had sent the boy's severed right ear to a Rome newspaper.
Gordon Getty in 1999 confirmed that he had a second family living in Los Angeles, news that came to light after three daughters born to him by another woman filed court documents requesting that their last name be changed to Getty.
The revelation that the well-known composer and philanthropist had a second family -- while remaining married to his wife, Ann -- became tabloid fodder, but it was something of an open secret in elite social circles.
The home where Andrew Getty's body was found has a storied history. The 70-year-old villa, which he purchased in 1996, was previously owned by three-time Oscar-winning film composer Miklos Rozsa.
Staff writers Matt Hamilton and Javier Panzar contributed to this report.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The return of Gordon Getty
The Great Getty: A review of two biographies
J. Paul Getty III dies at 54; scion of oil dynasty
Gordon Getty's second family was an open secret
UPDATES
12:46 p.m.: This article has been updated with more details from court documents and information from police.
11:25: a.m. This article had been updated with information about Andrew Getty's health from court documents.
6 a.m., April 1: This article has been updated with a statement by a coroner's official that Andrew Getty appears to have died of natural causes or accident.
9:20 p.m.: This post has been updated with a statement from a coroner's spokesman.
8:30 p.m.: This post has been updated throughout with additional details on the investigation and family history.
8 p.m.: This post has been updated with a statement from the Getty family and family history.
5:48 p.m.: This post has been updated with information about a restraining order sought by Andrew Getty.
5:15 p.m.: This post has been updated with background information about Gordon Getty.
5:03 p.m.: Updated with detectives handling the case.
4:45 p.m.: Updated with background.
