Robert Blake, Outcasted Actor Acquitted of Wife’s Murder, Dead at 89
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The post Robert Blake, Outcasted Actor Acquitted of Wife’s Murder, Dead at 89 appeared first on Consequence.
Robert Blake, the Emmy-winning actor who became a Hollywood outcast when he was tried and acquitted in the 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, has died at 89.
A statement by his niece on Thursday (March 9th) via The Associated Press shared that “Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.”
Robert Blake, born Michael James Gubitosi on September 18th, 1933, launched his acting career as child star on The Little Rascals series Our Gang. After serving in the army and suffering from drug addiction, he transitioned to mature roles in films like 1967’s In Cold Blood.
From 1975 to 1978, Blake played the titular detective on ABC’s Baretta, which earned him an Emmy for Lead Actor in its debut season and another nomination in 1977. The role also made catchphrases out of “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” and “You can take that to the bank.”
He earned more Emmy nominations for playing Jimmy Hoffa in 1983’s Blood Feud and 1993’s Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which he portrays the mild-mannered main character who murders his wife and three children. His part as The Mystery Man in David Lynch’s 1997 surreal murder neo-noir Lost Highway served as his last screen credit.
Blake married actress Sondra Kerr in 1961 and had two children before they divorced in 1983. He was remarried to Bonny Lee Bakley in November 2000 after they gave birth to his daughter. They were together until Bakley was murdered on May 12th, 2001 after being fatally shot in the head in Blake’s car while the pair were out to dinner.
Blake was later arrested and charged, but ultimately acquitted in a highly publicized criminal trial that concluded on March 16th, 2005. In November 2005, he was sued in California civil court by his three children and found liable for her wrongful death.
Robert Blake, Outcasted Actor Acquitted of Wife’s Murder, Dead at 89
Bryan Kress
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