Actor Robert Blake passed yesterday at the age of 89, according to Deadline. Noreen Austin, Blake’s niece, made the declaration.
Due to ongoing cardiac problems, he passed away quietly at home with his loved ones by his side, according to Austin (via Fox News). He’s been watching old movies, playing the guitar, and listening to jazz for the past few years.
In the late 1930s, Blake started his storied and lengthy career in Hollywood.
Blake made his stage debut as a young child in 1939 in the uncredited role of “Bridal Suite.” He would later accrue nearly 150 acting credits, the most notable of which were from the films “In Cold Blood” and “Baretta,” which launched his career in the 1960s and 1970s.
Black received four Emmy nominations during his career, and he was awarded one for his work on “Baretta.” Blake’s final major role was in the murder mystery “Lost Highway,” which came out in 1997.
Blake now joins the ranks of famous people who have already passed away. Many are remembering the horrifying circumstances of the latter quarter of his life, particularly the horrifying crime the former child actor was suspected of, while some are lamenting the end of his lengthy and famous career.
After his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, passed away in May 2001, Robert Blake’s life took a dark turn. Bakley was discovered dead in Blake’s vehicle, “slumped in the front seat,” per LAPD Online. Although Bakley and Blake had only been married for a year, Bakley was 44 years old, 23 years younger than Blake. She had been married eleven times overall. According to ABC News, when Blake was accused with Bakley’s murder and placed under arrest eleven months later, the entire globe was stunned. At the time, police spokesperson Officer Don Cox said, “We are confirming that we have detained Robert Blake in connection with the death of his wife.”
Blake has consistently insisted that Bakley was not killed by him. His official version states that he left her in the car after supper and came back to discover her dead. According to CNN, Blake continued to give his version of events throughout the court case, covering his whole year-long detention until obtaining a $1.5 million bond. In an interview with Barbara Walters in 2003, Blake blamed Bakley’s parenting for her death. “In my heart, I feel that some man, 10, 15, maybe 20 years ago, because she used to get married to them,” Blake (via ABC News) said. “I believe she ruined a great deal of lives. I believe the person whose life she destroyed was the one who watched her on television.
On March 29, 2005, Blake was found not guilty of the murder charge; nonetheless, his reputation never fully recovered.
