Biography

Becky Altringer was born Rebecca Pruitt in 1963 at Los Angeles General Hospital-remarkably, in the same ward where Marilyn Monroe was born decades earlier. Raised under her stepfather’s surname, Houle, she later married Russell Altringer in 1981. The couple welcomed a son, Kevin, in 1985 and divorced in 1990. A veteran private investigator and the founder of Ariel Investigations, Inc., Becky is widely known in the entertainment industry as "Hollywood P.I. Becky." Her national breakthrough came with the IFC documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, where her investigative work helped expose the inner workings and cultural impact of the MPAA film rating system. She continued her collaboration with documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick on Outrage and The Invisible War, further cementing her reputation for fearless, meticulous investigation. Often romanticized as glamorous, private investigation is more frequently defined by patience, persistence, and unglamorous legwork. Becky’s own path began in childhood, driven by relentless curiosity and a fascination with what lies beneath the surface-the unseen, the overheard, the hidden. Those early instincts evolved into a career spanning decades, encompassing everything from pro-bono abuse cases to complex celebrity matters, including cases involving Randy Quaid. Known for her tenacity, she routinely logged thousands of miles across Southern and Northern California in pursuit of justice for her clients. In addition to investigative work, Becky has provided security and executive protection for high-profile figures such as Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Chaz Bono, Molly Ringwald, Queen Latifah, Randy Quaid, and Margaret Cho. Her event security credentials include major, high-profile gatherings like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Her professional and advocacy commitments have included active membership in organizations such as Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Center for LGBTQ Rights, California Association of Licensed Investigators, The Doris Tate Crime Bureau, Citizens Against Homicide, Peace Over Violence, The National Center for Victims of Crime, Project Sister, and The Doris Day Animal Foundation. For more than 36 years, Becky has been in a committed, loving partnership. Together, they help raise grandchildren-a source of deep joy and grounding in her life. Creatively, she co-created and self-published Oolygalees, a children’s book made with her granddaughter, and completed River Run Free. These projects have fueled her current focus: finishing her novel Brutal Awakening and securing a publisher for River Run Free. Brutal Awakening is a suspenseful autobiographical novel rooted in Becky’s lived experience. Framed through the survivor’s perspective and intersecting with contemporary issues such as the #MeToo movement, the book confronts childhood molestation, rape, and sexual identity confusion with unflinching honesty. At the edge of despair, the narrative turns toward resilience and self-discovery, chronicling a transformative leap into love with another woman and the forging of a life defined by integrity, courage, and purpose-as both a survivor and a private investigator.
- IMDb mini biography by: John Petrovitz