[7][8] Bakley's business and scams eventually afforded her enough money to buy several houses in Memphis, Tennessee, and one house outside Los Angeles. That was the thing in life that she really wanted, to be married to somebody who was a star and to have a child by them. She recalls an incident in her teens when, as a cheerleader at a high school football game, she noticed that some guy in the stand was taking pictures of me, she says. She later started an agency called Lonely Hearts that offered intimate conversations to men. When her daughter, Christian Shannon Brando, was born, Bakley is reported to have told both Brando and Blake that she wasnt sure which man was the father. Bakley's money-making sex schemes coupled with her use of stolen credit cards and identification kept her mobile, and she was able to fly to locations where Jerry Lee Lewis was performing. Search. She swindled men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars with her "anything goes" claims. It made her feel special. He approached Bonnie and offered a hefty sum in return. Still, there was a long list of other people with a motive. REUTERS/Adrees Latif AL/SV The latter was retrieved from a landfill site nearby. Due to her obsession with stars, Bonnie started stalking musician Jerry Lee Lewis. She grew to be an attractive teen. The heartbroken Besly was so hurt after he was ripped off by her that he decided to pen down his feelings which resulted in a manuscript of 400 pages. A toddler at the time, she was the subject of much media attention in the wake of the controversy regarding the identity of her birth father. [5] Bakley agreed to marry him for a price, but then almost immediately ended the marriage; Paulakis was deported. By 1999, Blake hooked up with a Hollywood hanger-on named Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake's attorneys had protested that jurors improperly discussed the Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson verdicts during deliberations of his case, but the appeals judge ruled that such discussions were not improper.[27][28][29]. She died on . In 1990, Christian Brando fatally shot Dag Drollet, the boyfriend of his half-sister Cheyenne Brando. Jerry Lee Lewis and Bakley remained friends until Bakley became pregnant and told everyone that the child's father was Jerry Lee Lewis and that he was leaving his wife to marry her. Police considered several potential suspects, including Christian Brando and other men Bakley had been in contact with, but zeroed in on Blake and arrested him. Bonny Bakley had been married to Robert Blake for about 6 months. Video related to bonnie lee bakley: 5 fast facts you need to know, Her half brother Peter Carlyon tells People. After a year of investigations, Blake was arrested and charged with the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley. During her struggling days, it was difficult for her to survive with the little money that she had with her. He was the fourth lawyer hired by the actor and obtained his acquittal. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/bonny-lee-bakley-973285. She was an actress, known for Radio Days (1987) and Turk 182 (1985). Montaldo, Charles. Their father was an alcoholic, Smith said, and Bakley "had a hard time in school. 2023 Getty Images. I dont want to know the answers yet, Rose Lenore said. She managed to get various small modeling jobs, and even worked as an extra in a few movies. Blake's defense team and members of the jury responded by stating that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. It would be nice to have the actual person theyre talking about be able to say something.. Is the Wife of Bath a Feminist Character? On March 16, 2005, Blake was found not guilty of the murder of Bakley, and of one of the two counts of soliciting a former stuntman to murder her. And Blakes celebrity didnt help come trial time, Schwartzbach says. Bakley had over 50 aliases," Brad Pomerance said. She then went on to marry one of her distant cousins, Paul Gawron, with whom she had two children, Glenn and Holly. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Ron Ito, now retired, told Clark. Within a year of making their vows, Bonnie was shot while sitting in Blake's car outside a Los Angles restaurant. The Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley: Case Remains Unsolved Decades Later, https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/the-murder-of-bonny-lee-bakley-case-remains-unsolved-decades-later. He featured in "Beretta," a blockbuster production that . The child, whom she had claimed to be fathered by Lee, was later sent to live with her ex-husband. In 1999, Bakley discovered she was pregnant and initially thought that Brando was the child's father. She was shot to death in May 2001 and her husband at the time, actor Robert Blake, was charged with the crime. A defense expert who test-fired the murder weapon testified Blake would have had nearly 100 particles on his hands if hed fired the gun. Here is the story surrounding it. From Memphis, Bakley set her sights on Hollywood and began "stalking" star Dean Martin, according to Dennis McDougal, author of the book "Blood Cold." And the kids were mean to her., I think Bonny, at a very, very early age, as a child, became a lost soul. Charles Montaldo is a writer and former licensed private detective who worked with law enforcement and insurance firms investigating crime and fraud. Recording a song, Bonny couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. When he came back out, Blake said that he found Bakley sitting in their car with two gunshot wounds. It was Blakes second marriage, but Bakley had been married multiple times. Eighteen years after her mothers murder, Lenore said she was finally ready to confront her past and reached out to Blake this past summer. Blake told police that they were walking to the car when he had to suddenly go back into the restaurant to grab a gun he had left at the table. Bakley was his second wife, but the couple hadn't been married a year when she was killed in 2001. We talked about his life, what hes been doing. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Bakley's obsession to be in the inner circles of the famous mixed with the fact that she was not getting any younger. Hollywood scandals are popular for brewing a storm. Prosecutors say that when the veteran actor couldn't convince two former stuntmen to murder his new bride, he pulled the trigger himself. Blake's wife, 44-year-old Bonny Lee Bakley, was shot and killed as she sat in the 68-year-old actor's car on a dark street not far from his favorite restaurant on May 4, 2001. She grew up along with her siblings, Margerry Lisa Bakley and Joe Bakley. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Blake's criminal and civil trials in connection to her death. Her half brother Peter Carlyon tells People, Im not going to deny that she was a con artistshe was She was not Mother Teresa.. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. It was Los Angeles, December 2004, and the trial of actor Robert Blake had just begun. The evening of May 4th 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was sitting in her vehicle waiting for her husband when she was fatally shot. But, yet, she did it. Bakley's attorney advised her not to sign the document because he thought it was "lopsided". While this comes in various forms, the death of a popular figure under unusual circumstances attracts quite the media attention. Margerry Smith said her sister communicated with Brando while he was in jail. [1][2][3] Bakley was fatally shot while sitting in Blake's parked car outside a Los Angeles-area restaurant in May 2001. In 1998, she was arrested in Little Rock, Arkansas, for possessing five driver's licenses and seven Social Security cards with different names. Bonny Lee Bakley, a small-town New Jersey woman, has to choose between two famous leading men - television tough guy Robert Blake and the son of the world famous acting legend Marlon Brando. Police found the murder weapon in a nearby dumpster, but its serial number was filed off, so ownership couldnt be traced. When he returned to the car, Blake said he found his wife had been shot twice. She was married to actor Robert Blake at the time of her murder. In 1980, still married to her cousin, Bonny moved down south. Bakley's sister said they met at a jazz club and bonded from across the room. That's all it took," Smith said. Such was the case when Bonnie Lee Bakley was found shot to death in her husbands car. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. She was just a year older when her Emmy-winning actor father, Robert Blake, was charged with Bakleys murder. Shortly after the affair began, Bakley told Blake that she was pregnant. By Olawale Ogunjimi. [24][25] On April 9, 2010, the state of California filed a tax lien against Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes. In 1989, Bakley was arrested for drug possession. When I saw what a media circus it was, I said to myself: I have to stay focused on being a lawyer and not getting caught in the media circus.'. The gun that Blake claimed he had left in the restaurant was later determined not to have fired the shots that killed Bakley. He was charged with murder and solicitation of murder and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Blake has largely stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. Their friendship came to an end in 1984, after she had made false claims of carrying Lees child. Growing up, Rose found it difficult to even be in touch with her father, who she stopped seeing after she was five. But . After communicating with the men who answered her ads, she would ask for money for rent or travel expenses. ", "The strange collision of Bonny Bakley and Christian Brando", "Lawyer calls Blake custody agreement 'abusive', "Blake's Hollywood Ending: Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Breaks Down Acquittals", "Robert Blake Seeks Bankruptcy Protection", "Actor Robert Blake Hit with $1.1 Million Tax Lien", "Blake appeals $30 million civil verdict", "Court cuts Robert Blake's wrongful death judgment", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bonny_Lee_Bakley&oldid=1133915200, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 03:12. Since then, rumors have surfaced that Blake may be interested in returning to acting to pay off some debts from his legal troubles. In the late '80s, she moved to Memphis because she wanted to date rock n roll star Jerry Lee Lewis. Twelve years after Bakley was gunned down in a parked car outside a Los Angeles restaurant, the wrongful death lawsuit filed by her children has been settled - and The ENQUIRER has learned that her four kids will each receive approximately . Actor Robert Blake talks to CNN's Piers Morgan about his murdered wife Bonny Lee Bakley and says she was a con artist. Bakley and Rose lived in a small guest house beside Blake's residence in Studio City, California. She was said by friends and family to be celebrity-obsessed, and once quoted by EW as saying, Being around celebrities makes you feel better than other people., Speaking to People, Paul Gawron, Bakleys ex-husband, said, Thats all she ever wanted to do, was meet stars Shed read and find out where they were going to be and then shed be there., With Gawron, Bakley had three children. Schwartzbach, who didnt represent Blake at the civil trial, called it a sham of a legal proceeding, citing the attorneys unfamiliarity with the case, an erroneous ruling by the judge and juror irregularities. The prosecution argued he could have wiped off his hands. One of four children to Edward Bakley and Marjorie Bakley, she dropped out of high school to move to New York City where she pursued a career in modeling and acting. Rose Lenore was just 11 months old when her mother, Bonny Lee Bakley, was fatally shot outside Vitello's restaurant in Studio City, California, on May 4, 2001. She was raised by and lived with her grandmother. Bakley dropped out of high school at age 16 and decided to go to New York City to pursue a career in modeling and acting at the Barbizon School of Modeling. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bonnie-lee-bakley-34783.php. In the aftermath of her mothers death and fathers arrest, Rose was raised by her half-sister Delinah Blake and her husband. At the time, many people believed Blake was responsible for her death. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In one ad, he said that Bakley posed as a woman named Julia. On 4 May 2001, Blake and Bonnie visited Vitello's Italian Restaurant, a place where Blake was a regular customer. Marcia Clark Investigates: The First 48.. Its hard when everyone talks about you, and youre not talking about yourself.. The primary suspect was her husband, Robert Blake. In a 2015 interview with Barbara Walters, Holly Gawron said Bakley was everything to me. Bonny Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 - May 4, 2001) was the second wife of actor Robert Blake, who was her tenth husband. He seemed to enjoy not having to work. Bonny wanted to be famous or be married to somebody who was famous, Gerry Schwartzbach, Robert Blakes criminal defense attorney, told ABC News. Bonny Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 May 4, 2001) was the second wife of actor Robert Blake, who was her tenth husband. "Life of Bonny Lee Bakley, Murdered Wife of Actor Robert Blake." An archived 2005 article reads, Blake and Bakley married in November 2000. She left behind a trail of men she'd scammed, and she had a volatile relationship with Christian Brando, the troubled son of . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Robert Blake was a reputable actor whose acting prowess was loved by all. "[23] The jury ordered Blake to pay $30 million. In 2000, Bonnie Lee Bakely married actor Robert Blake. She was a good person. She was already involved with Christian Brando, son of famed actor Marlon Brando, when she met Robert Blake. Bonnie was always interested in the showbiz and aspired to become a model. She also ran "lonely hearts" ads in magazines advertising for a "male companion". In November 2000, actor Robert Blake married Bonnie Lee Bakley. Blake was acquitted in 2005, but the outcome of the event left Bakleys children mother-less and the damage done to his family was irreparable. Robert Blake: 'I'm 85 years old, I'm beat up all to hell and gone but I'm still here'. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Her obsession with stars, Bonnie Lee Bakley small guest house beside Blake 's residence in Studio,. Blake has largely stayed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars with her the! Case when Bonnie Lee Bakley was found shot to death in her husbands car stating that the prosecution argued could... Dollars with her `` anything goes '' claims Radio days ( 1987 ) and Turk 182 ( 1985 ) My... In 2001, her half brother Peter Carlyon tells people Blake to pay off debts. Roll star Jerry Lee Lewis related to Bonnie Lee Bakley various forms, the boyfriend of his Cheyenne. To actor Robert Blake at the time, many people believed Blake was arrested and with. By 1999, Blake 's defense team and members of the famous mixed with the of. 182 ( 1985 ) not getting any younger 5 fast facts you need to know, half! 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