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Well-known actor Robert Blake passed away on Thursday, March 9, at the age of 89. His net worth was reported to be around -$3 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.
He was at his New York-based residence at the time of death and his niece Noreen Austin revealed the cause of death as long-term heart disease. Writer and producer WT Solley paid tribute to him on Facebook by sharing a black-and-white picture and writing:
"Robert Blake will be remembered for a handful of memorable performances and a lifetime of offenses-including the night he insulted Orson Welles for being overweight on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show." Welles replied that he could perhaps be thin, but that Mr. Blake would always be stupid."
Writer Shawn Inmon wrote on Facebook that he first saw Robert as the murderer Perry Smith in In Cold Blood. He said that the film was shot in black and white, which left a huge impact on him as he was in love with Blake's performance. Journalist Doug Geed posted a picture of Blake and wrote:
"As a child he was one of the Little Rascals. In 1967 his role in the chilling true story movie In Cold Blood brought him acting accolades. Later in life he was charged, but acquitted, in the murder of his wife. Robert Blake has died at 89."
Robert Blake was accused of killing his wife
Robert Blake was the owner of a compound in Studio City since 1983 and it was sold for $1 million in 2001. The seven-bedroom house was later listed for sale by Alexandra Kingston in 2003 and sold for $1.5 million.
Blake and his bodyguard were arrested in 2002 on charges of murdering Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Robert was found liable for a wrongful death claim filed by the estate of Bonny Lee. However, a retired stuntman along with an unidentified person admitted that Robert tried to hire them for his wife's murder.
Blake pleaded not guilty as there was no evidence regarding his links to the murder. However, things changed when Bonny's children filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Robert and he was asked to pay a $30 million settlement, which was later reduced to $15 million.
Robert later filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and listed $3 million in liabilities. A lien was filed against him by the state of California in 2010, seeking $1,110,878 in unpaid taxes. He was also found not to have paid a large amount of legal fees.
He planned on returning to Hollywood, but his health issues restricted him from doing so.
Robert Blake's career in the entertainment industry
Born on September 18, 1933, Robert Blake made his film debut with the 1939 comedy film Bridal Suite. He continued to be a part of several short films until the 50s, which included Auto Antics, Dad for a Day, Alfalfa's Double, All About Harsh, Good Bad Boys, Baby Blues, Don't Lie, Family Troubles, Marshal of Reno, and more.
Blake made his television debut with the CBS series, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. He appeared on 14 episodes of the NBC series, The Richard Boone Show, and in 82 episodes of the ABC series Baretta as Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta.
He was featured in a few television films like The Big Black Pill, The Monkey Mission, Murder 1, Dancer 0, Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story, and Judgment Day: The John List Story.
