Robert Blake, a legendary actor, passed away at the age of 89. His niece, Noreen Austin, shared the news. According to Austin, Blake died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, after suffering from ongoing heart problems. In his final years, he enjoyed watching old movies, playing his guitar, and listening to jazz music.
Blake’s career in Hollywood spanned several decades, beginning in the late 1930s when he was just a child. He made his acting debut in 1939 with an uncredited role in the film “Bridal Suite.” Over the years, he appeared in nearly 150 films and television shows, with some of his most famous roles being in “In Cold Blood” and the TV series “Baretta,” which made him a household name in the 1960s and 1970s. For his work on “Baretta,” Blake received four Emmy nominations and won one. His last major acting role was in the 1997 movie “Lost Highway.”
While Blake’s career was long and successful, the latter part of his life was overshadowed by a tragic event. In May 2001, his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, was found dead in Blake’s car, slumped in the front seat.
Bakley, who was 44 years old at the time, had been married to Blake for just a year, but she had been married ten times in total. The circumstances of her death shocked the world, especially when Blake was arrested and charged with her murder 11 months later.
Blake always maintained his innocence, claiming that he had left Bakley in the car after dinner and returned to find her dead. He spent a year in jail before being released on a $1.5 million bond. During his trial, Blake continued to assert that he was not responsible for Bakley’s death. In a 2003 interview with Barbara Walters, he suggested that someone from Bakley’s past might have been involved, as she had a history of troubled relationships.
In 2005, Blake was found not guilty of the murder charge, but the trial left his reputation tarnished. Despite his acquittal, many people continued to associate him with the crime, and his once-celebrated career never fully recovered.
