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American actor Robert Blake, who was acquitted of the murder of his second wife, has passed away at the age of 89.
The news of his passing was announced by his niece, Noreen Austin, on March 9, 2023. Austin shared that Blake died from heart disease and was surrounded by his friends and family in Los Angeles at the time.
As per Fox, the statement read:
“He died at home with family around him peacefully, long-term heart issues. He spent the last few years listening to jazz music and playing his guitar and watching classic movies.”
Born on September 18, 1933, Blake was a native of New Jersey. He began his acting career at the age of five by starring in Our Gang comedy short film series.
After a couple of television roles, beginning with The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Robert Blake starred in the 1967 film In Cold Blood. The film was nominated for an Academy Award.
On the personal front, Blake was married thrice, most recently in 2017. He was first married to Sondra Blake in 1961, then to Bonny Lee Bakley in 2000, and his third wife was Pamela Hudak in 2017.
Robert Blake shared three kids with two wives
During his lifetime, Robert Blake fathered three children, from his two but overall three marriages.
He first tied the knot with actress Sondra Blake in 1961 but divorced in 1983. Together, they shared two children, Noah and Delinah. Sondra is best known for starring in Grown Ups, Of Mice and Men, and Mannix.
In 2000, Blake married Bonny Lee Bakley. The latter was previously married nine times before getting together with Blake. As per Opoyi, Bonny had a history of "exploiting" older men and celebrities with money.
Bonny was dating Marlon Brando's son, Christian, when she began a relationship with Robert Blake. At that time, she got pregnant and told both men that the baby was theirs.
The baby was previously named after Brando, and was called Christian Shannon Brando. However, a DNA test proved that Blake was the biological father of the child, and she was renamed Rose Lenore Sophia Blake.
Bonny Lee Bakley was shot to death on May 4, 2001, in Robert Blake's car which was parked outside an Italian restaurant in Studio City, California. Blake was arrested but later acquitted of the murder of his second wife.
In 2019, while speaking to People Magazine, Rose spoke about her "traumatic childhood" after her mother passed away.
She said that she didn't know where her mother was buried for the longest time. Rose said that while she knew she could have looked it up but didn't as she didn't believe she was ready for it. However, when she turned 18, she decided that she was ready and wanted to see her mother's grave.
She added that she has dealt with her "fair share of sadness in life," but noted that she knows that she will be okay.
In 2017, the Lost Highway actor tied the knot with Pamela Hudak. During Blake's trial for the murder of Bakley, Hudak testified that she and the actor had known each other for decades and dated briefly in 1991. Hudak disclosed this fact while testifying on Blake's behalf.
They got divorced a year later and did not share any children together.
