Transgender oil heir Nats Getty has proudly showed off his abs and top surgery scars in a striking new photoshoot, five months after he publicly came out as trans and non-binary, and underwent a procedure to remove his breasts.
In the images, the 28-year-old – who is the great-grandchild of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and the child of philanthropist Ariadne Getty – is seen posing in a patterned short-sleeved shirt and black jeans, holding the top open to reveal his trim and toned chest and stomach, as well as his tattoos and top surgery scars.
Getty, who underwent an operation to have his breast tissue removed back in January, captioned the images: ‘New chest who dis.’
The celebratory post comes months after the billionaire oil heir, who is married to transgender influencer Gigi Gorgeous, publicly announced that he is trans, while documenting his top surgery experience in a candid video posted to his wife’s YouTube page.
At the time, Getty opened up about his struggle to come to terms with his gender identity, writing on Instagram: ‘I have spent my entire life not in sync with the body I was born with and confined by an outwardly appearance that did not match my mind or soul.
‘New chest who dis’: Transgender oil heir Nats Getty has proudly showed off his abs and top surgery scars in a striking new photoshoot
Bold: The 28-year-old shared a series of images of himself on Instagram over the weekend in which he is seen posing with his tattoos on full show
Update: Getty’s post comes five months after he publicly came out as transgender and revealed that he had undergone top surgery to remove his breast tissue
Work it: The post was met with high praise from Getty’s Instagram followers, with dozens of commenters praising his ‘incredible’ body
‘It wasn’t until recently that I was even comfortable admitting this to myself, once I was able to look inwards and truly reflect on my authentic self.’
Now, he is sharing further insight into his personal journey, opening up in a new interview with Paper magazine about how he learned to accept and embrace his gender identity with the help of his wife and his best friend.
Getty paid tribute to Gorgeous and his close friend Gottmik, who was the first trans man to ever take part in RuPaul’s Drag Race, explaining how spending so much time with them both over the years helped him to feel more comfortable in his own skin.
But his wife and friend were not his only sources of support; the oil heir also credited HBO’s coming of age series We Are Who We Are with helping him to understand more about himself and his identity, admitting that he ‘watched it three times’ during the pandemic.
The show, which debuted in 2020, documents the lives of two teenagers who are exploring their gender and sexuality while living on a US Army base in Italy.
‘I finally saw TV representation of what I was going through in that exact moment of time, and it totally blew my mind,’ Getty said of the series.
‘All my time with Gottmik during COVID, because we were in the same house together, my five-plus years with Gigi, and then finally seeing a character on TV that was going through the same struggles that I was going through that all kind of came together.
‘I was like okay, I get it now.’
Opening up: Earlier this month, Getty spoke about his transition during a candid interview with Paper magazine, revealing how he embraced his gender identity during quarantine
Emotional: Getty revealed that his mother, philanthropist Ariadne Getty, wept tears of happiness when he came out to her
Step: After coming to terms with his own gender identity, Getty says he immediately wanted to undergo top surgery because it was important for him to feel ‘comfortable’ in his own skin
Getty also discussed how his relationship with gender changed during his childhood, explaining that he first felt pressure to ‘conform and act a certain way’ while attending boarding school in the UK, where he did everything he could to blend in so as to avoid the attention that came as a result of his famous last name.
‘It was a mix of me wanting to not step out of line and also not want to attract bullies and harassment from what I thought were my peers,’ he explained.
At home however, Getty never felt as though he had to fit a certain stereotype, noting that he only has one memory of being ‘forced into a dress’ when he was just two years old.
After leaving high school, Getty turned his hand to modeling, a career that he says helped him to ‘find a whole new side to himself’ – particularly when he didn’t feel forced to act or look traditionally feminine.
After coming to terms with his own gender identity during quarantine, Getty decided to come out to those closest to him, starting with his best friend, who was the first person to learn that the model was transgender.
Gottmik then helped Getty to tell his wife, who immediately booked an appointment for her partner’s top surgery – with the 28-year-old explaining that undergoing the operation was even more important to him than confirming his new pronouns.
‘I actually started by saying, “I’m really considering top surgery, I need this for myself, I feel so uncomfortable in my body. I hate the way that I look, I can’t even take a shower and look at myself,”‘ Getty recalled.
‘That was my first step. To me, that was more important than pronouns because I wanted to feel comfortable in my skin.’
After his top surgery was scheduled, Getty then came out to his mother, Ariadne, who was, he says, incredibly supportive and began ‘sobbing with tears of happiness’.
‘She has a mother’s intuition, and she basically told me, “I’ve almost been expecting this, this makes the most sense,” and she was just so happy for me,’ he recalled.
Getty made the decision to document his top surgery in a video that was posted to his wife’s YouTube account, explaining that he felt a ‘duty’ to share his experience with others in the hopes that they can ‘relate’ to him and take comfort in his journey.
Support: Getty revealed to Paper that his wife, transgender YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous, was the second person he came out to – after his best friend, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Gottmik
Proud: The model and oil heir first came out as transgender in January, revealing at the time that he had undergone top surgery in San Francisco
In the YouTube clip, the model explained his decision to undergo the procedure, during which all of the breast tissue is removed, describing the procedure as the start of his physical transition.
‘This surgery is something I have wanted for years and I can’t believe I will finally have the chest I have always dreamed of,’ Getty said.
The socialite acknowledged that it was a ‘privilege that I’m even able to move forward with this when for many it’s an impossible option due to their circumstance’.
‘It’s not lost on me the many people who are having to navigate this alone and in silence.’
At the time, Getty explained that he was still ‘taking his time to discover his most authentic self’ – and with that, which pronouns he feels most comfortable with.
‘But for now, I know one thing is for certain I am Nats. To my trans brothers and sisters and non-binary family: I am here for you, I am here with you, and I love you.’
In his wife’s video, Getty – who traveled to San Francisco for his top surgery – expanded on feelings about pronouns, saying: ‘I am allowing myself time with my new body to decide what pronouns best suit me.
‘During this time, some people refer to me as she/her and I don’t find it insulting because I am still on my journey of figuring out what pronouns work for me.’
Nats and brother August were raised in LA by their parents, Ariadne and actor Justin Williams, who divorced 16 years ago. It’s not clear when the siblings started using the Getty name
Emotional: Getty says that his mother Ariadne (pictured center right in 2018 with her children and Getty’s wife Gorgeous) was incredibly supportive of his decision to come out
The couple were joined on their road trip to San Francisco by a few close friends, including Gottmik.
Getty, whose godfather is California Governor Gavin Newsom, married his wife back in July 2020 in a lavish Santa Barbara ceremony.
Getty’s great-grandfather, oil magnate J. Paul Getty, was the richest man in the world before he died in 1976 with an estimated wealth of between $700 million and $1 billion at the time.
Nats and brother August Getty were raised by their parents Ariadne Getty and Justin Williams in Los Angeles. Their parents divorced 16 years ago.
The siblings were raised with their actor father’s surname. Their mother told Town & Country magazine that she wanted ‘them to grow up without the weight of the name’.
They didn’t even know they were Gettys until about 2000 after their parents split and they briefly moved with their mother to the UK.
It is not clear when Nats and August, who is a fashion designer, started using the Getty name.
The wealthy Getty family have managed to maintain a significant share of the family fortune but the money has not shielded subsequent generations from drug addiction, premature death, tabloid scandal and violent attacks.
The long line of tragedies that have plagued the family have led some to speak of a ‘Getty curse’.
Getty’s uncle, John Paul Getty III (pictured with Ariadne in 2003), was kidnapped for ransom as a teenager in 1973 and later suffered a debilitating stroke. He died aged 54 in 2011
Getty’s great-grandfather, oil magnate J. Paul Getty, was the richest man in the world before he died in 1976 with an estimated wealth of between $700 million and $1 billion at the time
Getty’s uncle John Paul Getty III, was sensationally kidnapped for ransom as a teenager in 1973. The terrifying tale was brought to the big screen by Ridley Scott in the film All the Money in the World.
He was just 16 years old and living in Italy when members of the Italian mafia grabbed him off the street on July 10, 1973 as he returned home from a night out with friends.
He was thrown in the back of the van and taken 300 miles south to the mountains of Calabria, with his captors soon informing the teenager’s family that the boy would be safely returned after they paid a $17 million ransom.
His oil tycoon grandfather refused to pay the ransom, telling reporters at the time: ‘If I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.’
The family patriarch only agreed to pay a negotiated amount after the kidnappers cut off John Paul Getty III’s ear and mailed it to his family.
John Paul Getty III was finally released after four months in captivity.
He later suffered a debilitating stroke that paralyzed him. He died in 2011 at the age of 54.
Most recently, Getty’s uncle John Gilbert Getty was found unresponsive in a hotel room in San Antonio, Texas in November last year.
The cause of death is yet to be determined but foul play is not suspected.