The New York Times cites Teddy Getty Gaston's book Alone Together. Gaston was J. Paul's last wife and Timothy's mother. She wrote that he scolded her for spending too much on the child's treatments.
The 1970s was a tragic time for the Gettys, said Film Daily. Third son John Paul, Jr. left his wife and took up with actress Talitha Pol in 1966. The two became addicted to drugs, causing J. Paul Sr. to cut off his son. Pol died of a drug overdose in 1971. Older brother George always felt their father's cruelty the most. As Vanity Fair noted, George barely saw his father. He was chief operating officer of Getty Oil, but J. Paul didn't trust his business savvy and often overrode his decisions. George, who was reportedly scared of Mr. Getty (as his children called him), often drank to numb the pain.
One night, in 1973, after an argument with his wife over J. Paul, George went into a room, drank alcohol, took sedatives, and stabbed himself with a barbecue fork. It took an extra 20 minutes to bring him to a discreet hospital, where he died. J. Paul tried to cover up his son's suicide so it wouldn't mar his image.
A month later saw the worst event the family faced. In July 1973, J. Paul, Jr.'s son J. Paul III partied in Rome. The next day, a letter arrived for his mother saying he had been kidnapped.
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