Tonight, ABC News’ 20/20 will interview Robert Blake, who was acquitted in 2005 for the murder of his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley.
With all that time spent in court, and after being accused of the murder of his wife, many people are curious about Blake’s net worth. How much money does he have? Is he in debt? Read on for details.
1. He Has an Estimated Net Worth of -$3 Million
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Blake is $3 million in debt.
In 2001, he and his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, drove to Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City for dinner. While the car was parked, Bakley was shot in the head and killed. Blake claimed in court that at the time of the shooting he had briefly left the car to retrieve a gun that he had previously left at the restaurant. The gun was not found to be the murder weapon.
On April 18, 2002, Blake was arrested and charged with Bakley’s murder. Four days later, he was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances. He pleaded not guilty. In 2005, Blake was acquitted for the murder of his second wife.
2. He Won an Emmy Award
Blake is an actor and has starred in movies like Cold Blood, Money Train, Lost Highway, and Lost Highway, among others.
He won an Emmy for his role as Tony Baretta in the TV series Baretta, which ran for 82 episodes.
Blake started his career as a child performer; he won a role in MGM’s Our Gang series at the ripe age of 5. He also scored one of the lead roles in the Little Rascals short films at age 6.
3. He Was Found Liable for Wrongful Death and Ordered to Pay $30 Million
Eight months after Blake was acquitted of his second wife’s murder, a civil jury ordered him to pay $30 million after deciding he was responsible for the killing. He was ordered to pay the money to the children of Bonny Lee Bakley, who sued him. That amount was later cut to $15 million by an appeals court. People reports that the case was eventually settled for an amount that was not disclosed.
According to the New York Times, the jury deliberated for eight days before deciding that Blake “intentionally caused the death” of Bakley.
None of Bakley’s children attended the hearing. In court, the children’s lawyer, Eric Dubin, said, “These kids lost their mom, and that got overlooked over the years… This was a real family. This was a real person.”
4. He Filed for Divorce from His Third Wife After 1 Year of Marriage
Why @ElliottGould believed Robert Blake was perfect fit for co-star role: “I thought he would be a great partner for me, especially for the world we were going to inhabit,” the famed actor recalls of starring alongside Blake in the 1974 film “Busting.” t.co/ZYxoDJpC7z
In December, TMZ reported that Blake had filed for divorce from his third wife, Pamela Hudak, after just a year of marriage.
According to an article by Radar Online, documents revealed that Blake did not want to pay his wife spousal support after the divorce.
Radar writes, “…the Baretta star listed their separate property as ‘all accounts and property of the petitioner.’ He listed their community and quasi-community assets and debts to include ‘Retirement benefits and income earned by Respondent during marriage.'”
The couple married on April 2, 2017. Their separation date was listed as December 6, 2018.
5. Writings on His Apartment in California Include Notes That Say Things like “No Money”
Robert Blake today on his life after trials: “I could’ve gone on the road. Everybody out there still knows me and loves me.”
Robert Blake speaks exclusively to 20/20 about working in the entertainment industry and his life today – TONIGHT at 9|8c on @ABC t.co/nOIDla3Rsz
For tonight’s episode of 20/20, ABC executives made their way to Blake’s home in California, where his walls are covered with notes in his own handwriting. The notes say things like, “‘No Wife’; ‘No Money’; ‘No Friends’; ‘No Family’; ‘None’; ‘Get Started’; ‘Come Play With Me’; ‘Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,'” according to the Daily Mail.
In the interview, Blake adds on to those statements with comments like, “You can see this crazy house I live in cuz I can’t stand for two pieces of furniture to match or a fork and spoon to match. I can’t think for anything to match. I have to invent stuff. That’s what I do. That’s the only thing I’m good at.”
As he says this, the camera zooms in on another statement written on his wall that reads, “It Is A Sin Not to Dream.”
Be sure to tune into tonight’s ABC News 20/20 at 10pm ET/PT.