Lost Highway star Robert Blake dies after killing his cheating wife

Robert Blake, the Emmy Award winner who went from being recognized for his acting genius to notoriety when he was tried and then acquitted for the murder of his wife, died on March 9 at the age of 89.

A statement released on behalf of his niece Noreen Austin said Blake died of heart disease surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles.

Blake, the star of the 1970s television show Baretta, retired from acting long before his death after the murder of his wife, Bonnie Lee Backley, outside a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001.

The story of their strange marriage, the birth of a child, and its violent end became a Hollywood tragedy played out in a real court.

Once hailed as one of the best actors of his generation, Blake became even more famous after a real-life murder trial.

In court, he argued that he did not kill his wife, and the jury ultimately acquitted him. But a civil jury would find him responsible for her death and order him to pay the Bakley family $30 million, a decision that led to his bankruptcy.

The daughter who was born in this marriage, Rose Lenore, was raised by other relatives and did not see Blake for years until they contacted in 2019. She told People magazine that she called him “Robert” and not “dad.”

During the trial, it was revealed that his wife was a swindler who had dozens of pseudonyms, she had deceived thousands of men and had previously been married 10 times. Blake married her in November 2000 after a DNA test confirmed that he was the father of their daughter, Rosie.

In fact, Blake’s last role was in the David Lynch film Lost Highway (1997).