Turkish-born Atila Altaunbay first gained notoriety when it was rumored he was the husband of the legendary Grace Jones. While Jones’ career as a model, singer, and actor brought her widespread notoriety, Altaunbay stayed out of the spotlight. However, Altaunbay’s marriage to Jones drew the paparazzi to his previously normal life.
Not much is known about Altaunbay. A former security guard, Altaunbay married Jones after securing a divorce from his previous wife. His marriage catapulted Jones back into the celebrity world. Altaunbay lived an ordinary life until he married Jones.
Jones is known for her on screen and off screen personas. Altaunbay is known only for marrying Jones. Because Altaunbay has been by Jones’ side for the duration of her career, much can be learned about the man behind the celebrity marriage.
Who Is Atila Altaunbay?
Ask most people about Atila Altaunbay and the only information they can tell you is that he’s a Turk who allegedly lived in Belgium, and was the hubby of the iconic Grace Jones in the 1990s.
Altaunbay failed to follow the trend of Jones’ ex-husbands and enter the limelight. Information in the public domain about him mostly surrounds his time with Grace Jones and his profession in the security industry. Because he likes to keep to himself, there is almost no information about him before he met Grace.
There is a lot of contradicting information about Atila Altaunbay on different websites. Information about his employment history and later years should be taken with a grain of salt.
The information about Atila Altaunbay is sparse and unreliable. Until information about him becomes more objective, a lot of what is written about him should be taken with a grain of salt.
A Summary of Atila Altaunbay’s Biography
Reported biographies of Altaunbay agree that he was born in Turkey and that his early life is largely uncatalogued. Accounts state that he lived in Belgium and that this country is frequently found in biographical accounts concerning him.
There is little information concerning his parents and siblings. Similarly, there is little information about the schools he may have attended or the degrees he may have earned.
His early life was largely private.
There is a paucity of records concerning Altaunbay. As a result, numerous websites have published speculative biographies. Some include purported dates and particulars of his life. Other biographies are extremely general.
Career of Atila Altaunbay
Atila Altaunbay is known for working as a bodyguard, with various sources claiming he worked as Grace Jones’ bodyguard and later romantic partner.
Altaunbay’s work as a bodyguard may have been more connected to Jones, and enabled them to create a personal relationship.
Altaunbay may have other interests in entertainment. Some online sources claim he has a background in acting, modeling, and professional wrestling. However, among available sources, claims about bodyguard work outnumber all other professions by far.
For his body of work, it is appropriate to highlight his background in security to provide context to other individuals who may be less familiar with his professional background.
How Atila Altaunbay Met Grace Jones
A vast majority of individuals have never heard of Atila Altaunbay, and that number will likely never change. The only main exception to this rule is in regard to Atila’s relationship with Grace Jones.
Jones was very well known at the time that Altaunbay worked for her. Jones has Modeled and acted and has sung. Her work has gained international recognition.
Altaunbay was said to have worked for her as a bodyguard.
The relationship received media attention since the two came from culturally different backgrounds. Jones worked in the media and was an entertainer. Little was known about Altaunbay.
The two became romantically involved. They each benefitted by having the other as a partner. Jones’s social status gave Altaunbay a greater chance at being in the public eye, and his lower status gave Jones a greater chance at being in the private eye. So, in a sense, they each benefitted by having a partner whose status was relatively lower than their own.
Marriage of Atila Altaunbay and Grace Jones
It is believed that Grace Jones and Atila Altaunbay got married in 1996, and that their wedding was held in Brazil.
Jones was an internationally recognized star at the time as a result of her success in the music industry as well as in modeling and acting. Altaunbay, on the other hand, was Jones’ bodyguard and was therefore known by the public as a bodyguard.
There was, of course, public interest in Jones’ husband, and details about him.
Their age difference added even more interest in their relationship. Jones was in her 40s, and Altaunbay was in his early 20s.
Although there was interest in the couple, they kept most of their private details to themselves.
Their Life Together
Altaunbay once shared his life with a woman who worked in the public eye, including in music and film. Grace Jones had a busy schedule and was based in many different locations around the world.
Altaunbay has worked in security, and may have a clearer understanding than most about Jones’ line of work.
Altaunbay and Jones’ have chosen to keep their personal lives separate from the media. Thus, very little information is available about them.
A consensus has formed that the same is likely true of Atila Altaunbay.
Did Atila Altaunbay and Grace Jones Have Children?
Neither Altaunbay nor Jones has ever publicly confirmed having children together.
Jones has a son named Paulo from a previous relationship with photographer and collaborator Jean-Paul Goude. Thus Paulo is not Altaunbay’s son.
As Altaunbay has been private about his personal life, there is not much available regarding his relationship with Jones’ family. The focus of most available information is Altaunbay’s relationship with Jones.
The End of Their Relationship
According to multiple sources, Atila Altaunbay and Grace Jones eventually parted ways. There is little information regarding when and how this happened.
Several sources indicated that their separation happened in the first part of the 2000s, but there is little information about the reasons for this or the specifics of the legal proceedings.
Grace Jones talked about her relationships and personal life in a few interviews and in her autobiographical publications. Altaunbay was less public about these issues.
Consequently, the reasons for the ending of their relationship have not been explained by Altaunbay.
Life After Grace Jones
After his relationship with Grace Jones, very little information is available about Atila Altaunbay. Jones’s Biography mentions Altaunbay, but doesn’t give any information about his career or later life. It appears he did not pursue a public career after his relationship with Jones.
One of the more unusual elements of his life is the fact that he married into a family with a world-renowned celebrity, and chose to not pursue the same level of publicity.
There is very little reliable information available. Because of a lack of independent sources, one has to use discretion with information available online about Altaunbay’s later life. Some sources state he lived and worked in Europe and especially Belgium. Other sources discuss Altaunbay’s later professional interests.
Given the paucity of reliable, verifiable sources, one has to be discerning about information online.
What Makes Atila Altaunbay Notable?
Grace Jones is the reason most people want to know about Atila Altaunbay.
Jones is considered a pop culture icon and an innovator in music, fashion and various aspects of culture. As a result of this, various publications about her life and career have been published, as well as retrospective analyses.
Marrying Atila is mentioned in publications about her life.
People are interested in Atila because they want to know the answers to several questions. These include where he was born, what he did for a living, how he connected with Jones and what transpired between them. Of course, his birthday is of interest, as is the year of his marriage to Jones.
Jones’s large body of work, as well as Atila’s total absence from the public eye, means Atila is an enigma and topic of public curiosity.
What Is Known About His Later Years?
In comparison to other people of note, not much is known about Atila Altaunbay’s later years. Information about him is scattered and sometimes conflicting on the Internet.
Different biographies have noted the year of his death, but because other details about him are lacking, some elements of these accounts can not be accepted as true.
This is particularly true because Altaunbay was a relatively private person. Biographies on the Internet often cite each other, and because of repetition, sometimes false information appears true.
It is therefore necessary to refer to facts about him that different biographies agree upon. It is also appropriate to accept that he was of Turkish descent and worked in Personal Security in Belgium. It is also true that he was married to Grace Jones.
How Atila Altaunbay Was Connected to Grace Jones
Though Altaunbay had his own career, his fame was largely connected to Grace Jones.
Jones is a singer, model and actor, famous for pushing boundaries with her androgynous look, often wearing suits and ties, and thick makeup. She has had a successful career with albums like ‘Warm Leatherette’ and ‘Nightclubbing,’ as well as duets with Chris Meyers and Sly and the Family Stone.
Altaunbay met Jones when she was already a world famous star. This meant that their marriage, which for Altaunbay brought a high level of fame, was documented for many years.
Before meeting Jones, Altaunbay was not in the public eye. He led a mostly private life.
Questions About Atila Altaunbay
Q1. Who is Atila Altaunbay?
A person of interest because of his marriage to Grace Jones, Atila Altaunbay is a man of Turkish origin who resided in Belgium.
Q2. What is Atila Altaunbay’s occupation?
Most sources describe Altaunbay as a bodyguard or security person. Other professions have been mentioned in a few sources but are not prominent.
Q3. What year did Atila Altaunbay marry Grace Jones?
In 1996 is the year mentioned in various sources for Altaunbay and Jones’ marriage. The name of the city where the wedding was held is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Q4. Did Atila Altaunbay and Grace Jones got children?
Altaunbay and Jones do not have children. Jones has a child, Paulo Goude, from a previous relationship.
Q5. Where is Atila Altaunbay birthplace?
Altaunbay was born in Turkey. It is mentioned that he resided in Belgium.
Q6. What made Atila Altaunbay popular?
Marrying Grace Jones made Atila Altaunbay famous. However, working as a bodyguard of Jones, made Altaunbay widely known.
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Conclusion
A figure as colorful as Atila Altaunbay is often shadowed by another larger-than-life persona as is the case with Atila and Grace Jones. Details about Atila are scant as they depend on Grace for verification. What is known is that Atila is of Turkish origin and currently living in Belgium. Altaunbay attained celebrity status through his relationship with Jones as well as his career in Personal Security.
In 1996, Altaunbay tied the knot with Jones. This was the first and last time the public would see Altaunbay as Jones reverted back to her dominatrix persona. Whereas Jones continued to grace the limelight, little is known about Altaunbay.
Because of his marriage to Jones, Altaunbay’s biography has been credited and published numerous times. With thorough investigation, what is published about Altaunbay is easily verifiable. His background in Security, marriage to Jones, and Belgium and Turkey relations are universally accepted.
Altaunbay is published in conjunction with Jones’ biography because of the impact she had on the Music and Fashion industry.
