The billionaire grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty has won a key victory in his divorce battle — a judge ruled his estranged wife needs only $83,000 a month, one-sixth of what she was asking for.
Jacqueline Getty, who married Peter Getty in 2000, had submitted papers showing she would need $535,201 a month spousal support to maintain the lifestyle they enjoyed during their ill-fated marriage.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge also declined to grant Jacqueline an order of protection last week after her testimony that Peter, an heir to his father Gordon Getty‘s $2 billion fortune, was a violent drug addict and once broke her arm.
A source told us, “The original filing for spousal support was based on Jacqui and Peter’s expenditure when they were married, and $535,201 was the total number.
“The $83,000 is based on verifiable income that Peter has, probably from investments. Everybody in the Getty family gets money from the trust, but it’s not verifiable by the court. It’s hidden by the whole Getty web.”
The dueling spouses first squared off in court in May with Jacqui making allegations about Peter’s drug use. Flanked by Gia Coppola, Jacqui’s daughter who’s a granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola, she submitted evidence, including a photo of Peter with a blood-caked nose sitting in front of a computer. In papers filed earlier, Jacqui also claimed Peter was obsessed with pornography.
Peter denies breaking her arm and insists he’s not a violent person. His lawyer, Laura Wasser, was not available for comment. Jacqui’s lawyer, Stephen Kolodny, did not return calls.