Atila Altaunbay is best known in popular culture as the ex-husband of Jamaican-American singer, model, and actress Grace Jones. He came into public awareness largely due to this relationship, but his life story includes varied roles — bodyguard, model, occasional singer, and in later reports, philanthropy.
Early Life, Background & Family
- Birth & Nationality: Atila Altaunbay was reportedly born in 1976 in Turkey, into a Muslim family.
- Childhood & Migration: At a young age, he is said to have moved to Belgium (or spent a significant part of his youth there), giving him exposure to multiple cultures.
- Parents & Siblings: Very little reliably published information exists about his father or mother. Their names, occupations, or public profile are not known. Some sources say “Mr. and Mrs. Altaunbay” but without further detail. Similarly, there’s no confirmed information about siblings.
Age
- If the commonly accepted birth year of 1976 is correct, Altaunbay would have been 45 years old at the time of his reported death in October 2021.
- Some sources giving “age 47-48 in 2024” are simply extrapolating from that birth year.
Marriage to Grace Jones
- When & How They Married: Altaunbay and Grace Jones reportedly married in 1996, on February 24, in a private ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. The ceremony is said to have been small, with about 50 guests.
- Age Gap: Jones was born in 1948, making her approximately 27-28 years older than Altaunbay. This age difference was much discussed in tabloids/blogs.
- Duration: The marriage is said to have lasted until about 2004, so roughly 8 years. After that, the couple separated.
- Divorce / Legal Status: Some reports claim they never officially completed the divorce, because Altaunbay reportedly became hard to locate or went into seclusion, making legal proceedings difficult for Jones. In effect, while separated, some sources say they remained technically married.
Children
- With Grace Jones: Altaunbay and Grace Jones did not have any *biological children together.
- Stepchildren: Grace Jones has a son, Paulo Goude, born from her earlier relationship with Jean-Paul Goude; Altaunbay became his stepfather through marriage to Grace.
Career & Public Life
- Initially, reports say Altaunbay worked as a bodyguard, including for Grace Jones, which is how they met.
- Alongside being a bodyguard, he is said to have done modeling, occasional singing (performances at weddings, perhaps small stage appearances), and possibly small acting roles.
- In later years, the narrative among many blog sources is that Altaunbay became involved in philanthropy, notably with an organization named Helping Hands Belgium, where he reportedly became chairman, dedicated himself to helping the underprivileged, and fought inequality.
Net Worth
- Across various sources, his net worth is commonly estimated at between US$500,000 and US$1,000,000, with many settling near US$800,000.
- The sources often attribute this net worth to his work as bodyguard, from modeling/performing, and perhaps some income from philanthropy or being part of that charitable organization. But details of his income (e.g. contracts, earnings) are not reliably documented.
Death / Passing
- When: Many reports say Altaunbay died in October 2021, at age 45.
- Announcement: The death is reported to have been announced via a post by Helping Hands Belgium, which described Altaunbay as their president/chairman, expressing sorrow and praising his service.
- Cause & Circumstances: The cause of death was not publicly disclosed in any credible mainstream media; sources say it remains unknown. Also, some accounts state that the funeral was held at the Mehmet Akif Mosque in Antwerp and attended by close family/friends.
- Skepticism / Unverified: Because much of this info comes from blogs or “celebrity rumor” sites, there’s no well-documented primary source confirming all these points. Mainstream news outlets seem to lack reliable confirmation of many aspects (cause of death, exact legal status of marriage/divorce, etc.).
Summary & Legacy
Atila Altaunbay’s life, as told in many blog posts, is one of contrasts: a relatively private Turkish-Belgian man who stepped into public limelight through marriage to a global star; someone who started in modest work (bodyguard, model, singer) and later is said to have devoted himself to helping others. Whether all details are accurate is uncertain, but the recurring themes in various reports are:
- Early life in Turkey, then Belgium.
- Marriage to Grace Jones in the mid-1990s, with an age gap.
- No children together, though he was stepfather through Grace’s earlier child.
- Some controversy/sensation around their marriage (age gap, cultural differences, possible incidents).
- Withdrawal from spotlight, philanthropic involvement.
- Death in 2021, though little detail about cause or aftermath.
Points of Uncertainty / What Is Not Verified
- Parents: No reliable names or details exist.
- Education: Very little verified data on his schooling or formal qualifications.
- Exact net worth: All numbers are estimates from sites of varying credibility.
- Legal divorce status: Conflicting claims about whether divorce was finalized.
- Cause of death: Not disclosed; no major news outlets confirming anything more than announcements by Helping Hands Belgium (as per blogs).
Conclusion
Atila Altaunbay remains a figure about whom quite a bit is reported, yet relatively little is reliably documented. His marriage to Grace Jones brought him into the public eye; after separation, many sources say he sought a quieter life, focusing on charitable work. The reports of his death in 2021 at age 45 are widespread in blog posts, but without strong mainstream confirmation for all details.
(This article is based on publicly available blog and “celebrity biography” sources, many of which do not cite primary documents.)