Fast Links
Baretta actor Robert Blake’s death has awakened the brutal reality of his trial for his wife’s murder years back, which brought his daughter Rose Lenore a traumatic childhood. The now-22-year-old discussed this harsh reality, and her struggle to cope while growing up amid the unsolicited fame it attracted.
Her disturbing childhood was made worse by the fact that her dad was the prime suspect in the 2001 murder. In a 2019 interview with People, Rose explored the details of her traumatic years growing up in the wake of her mom Bonny Lee Bakley’s fatal shooting. Rose, barely a year old during the shooting, explained that having her dad charged with the murder further publicized it. She recalled:
“I can literally Google any of our names, and it would come up. It was kind of a traumatic childhood at that point.”
Robert Blake’s Daughter Struggled With Her Messy Family Situation Through High School
Rose recalled a particular incident from her high school days when she sensed someone taking pictures of her during cheerleading. Despite her attempts to dismiss the uneasy feelings, her fears came to pass when the photos flooded the tabloids weeks later, along with an article about her. That incident “put a distance” between Rose and her classmates.
The family ultimately decided to live a private life to stay off the radars. She busied herself with activities like gymnastics, piano, soccer, and cheerleading. Yet, not even that could hide the demons she battled deep down. She explained:
“I have very severe anxiety and depression. I went to therapists throughout the years to discuss all my family issues.”
Robert Blake’s daughter soon figured it felt easier opening up to friends than family. Hence, she resorted to confiding in close pals about her family’s “messy situation.”
Taking A Step To Redemption
After dealing with the trauma of her mom’s demise and dad’s murder trial for years, Robert Blake’s daughter decided to open her heart to him. Rose recalled reaching out to her dad for the first time at eighteen, after being estranged from him since the murder.
They had the chance to catch up on their lives spent apart, making sure not to veer into Bakley’s death. Rose explained she set the boundary because she was reluctant to know if her dad was guilty or not. She divulged:
“It feels useless to have an opinion about it. Say he did it or he didn’t do it, what’s the point knowing that, other than to just trouble myself? I think it’s better to just see both sides for what they are and not try to overwhelm myself.”
Barely five years after talking things out with her dad, the actor passed away at 89 from heart disease. Although Robert Blake’s murder charges were dropped in 2005, nearly two decades before his death, the aftermath of the trial continued to haunt him, bringing an end to his acting career.