American actor Robert Blake is well-known and has since retired. But he is most known for being tried for the death of his second wife in 2001, being declared not guilty, and facing charges.
Robert Blake’s wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was assassinated in the backseat of her automobile in 2001. The Hollywood star was detained and accused of her murder after a year had gone. Robert, who is now 84 years old, was later acquitted of the accusations following a public trial.
A further verdict reached by the jury was that he did not hire a third party to kill his wife. Although found not guilty, Robert was deemed responsible for the murder of Bonny’s three children and given a $30 million fine in 2005.
Robert Blake: Does He Still Exist?
Robert Blake is 88 years old and has not yet gone away. Moreover, the actor started his first job in the entertainment industry in 1939. Actor Robert Blake is a rising star with a lot of potentials.
Aside from that, Robert is most known for his parts in the 1967 movie In Cold Blood and the 1970s television series Baretta, both of which were made in the US.
In the latter years of the Metro-Goldwyn-Our Mayer’s Gang (Little Rascals) short film series, which ran from 1939 to 1944, Blake made his acting debut as a lead. His professional journey began at this point.
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Was He Found Guilty in the Murder of His Wife Case?
For killing his wife in 2002, Robert was caught. His personal bodyguard was also taken into custody to be questioned in relation to the scheme. In 2005, the Bonnie Lee estate sued Blake in a California civil court for wrongful death, and the judge ruled in favor of the estate and found Blake accountable. Robert sought to recruit a retired stuntman and more individuals to kill his wife, it was found.
Blake filed a not-guilty plea despite the fact that he faced the death penalty for his conduct.
After being given bail, Robert was found not guilty. He had no gunpowder on him at the time of the shot, and the prosecution had no evidence connecting him to the murder weapon.
A sizable portion of the public disagreed that there was enough evidence to condemn him, and the LA district attorney, Stephen Cooley, slammed the jury’s decision as “extremely dumb.”
Yet, Robert still hadn’t gotten beyond the worst of it. Bakley’s three children sued him for wrongful death, and the court found that he was to blame for their mother’s demise. He was initially forced to pay $30 million, but the settlement cut that sum to $15 million.
How Much Money Is He Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the American actor Robert Blake now has a $3 million negative net worth. However, Robert Blake found himself in hot water in 2001 when he was accused of killing his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. This made him the subject of suspicion.
He was ultimately declared not guilty in 2005 after the trial had been ongoing for a number of years.
Nonetheless, Robert had to deal with severe financial consequences as a result of the death of his wife, and he was found to be to blame in a wrongful death case that was brought against him in the state of California.
Soon after being ordered by the court to pay a settlement of $30 million to Bonnie Lee’s estate, Robert Blake declared bankruptcy in 2006. The court had only recently instructed him to pay the amount when this happened. The actor’s property was subject to a lien in 2010 by the state of California in an effort to recover $1,110,878 in overdue taxes were not paid.
The sources state that Robert also owes a sizable sum in unpaid legal expenses. Blake considered returning to the acting industry as a result of his continuous financial issues. On the other hand, he said he felt “half-dead” and that he would not be returning to the entertainment business when he was 85 years old.
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His Acting Career in Brief
At the early age of six, Robert made his acting debut in the movie “Bridal Suite.” He then rose to fame thanks to his parts in MGM’s “Our Gang” short film series. Blake as a result appeared in several episodes of the Western TV series “Red Ryder” as a young First Nations lad. By the time he was 17 years old, he had already made roles in movies like “The Black Rose” and “Black Hand.”
In 1950, Blake enlisted via mandatory military service. At age 21, he left the military but had trouble obtaining employment. Robert eventually started selling narcotics and became dependent on cocaine and heroin. He took acting school and eventually rose to become one of Hollywood’s top performers. Blake went on to star in films like “The Purple Gang” and “Pork Chop Hill” after appearing as a guest star in episodes of Western TV shows like “26 Men” and “The Cisco Kid.”
When he was offered the main role in the movie In Cold Blood in 1967, his career took off. His ground-breaking performance came in the 1975 release of the first “Baretta” movie. For his role as a detective in plainclothes, Robert became famous for catchphrases like “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”
Blake continued acting after “Baretta” ended in 1978, appearing in movies like “Money Train” and “Lost Highway,” as well as television dramas like “Blood Feud” and “Hell Town.”
