Actor Robert Blake of Baretta fame went on Piers Morgan Tonight to discuss his new book, and surprisingly came out of the interview looking worse than when he went in.
Blake, who had not made a public appearance since he was acquitted of his wife Bonnie Lee Bakely’s murder in 2001, lost his cool when the CNN host started questioning him about his wife’s death.
Bakely was shot in the head after she and Blake went out to dinner in 2001. Blake was arrested and charged with her murder a year later. He was acquitted but was ordered to pay Bakely’s family $30 million following a civil suit in 2005. He then declared bankruptcy.
Things took an interesting turn during the interview when Morgan, who later said that he had just met Blake that day, questioned the truthfulness of Blake’s alibi.
That’s when Blake went on the defensive, asking Morgan to point out what part of the story was a lie. Morgan then repeatedly denied that he had meant to call the actor a liar, which pushed Blake to confide in Morgan that he has “…never allowed anybody to ask me the questions that you’re asking.
“I allowed you to do that because I trust you,” Blake said. “And I would have assumed that you and that guy in your ear would trust me. And if you don’t, then we’d better start talking about The Little Rascals,” referring to the show that launched Blake’s career in 1939.
Blake went on to describe his and Bakely’s marriage as “not bad.” He called Bakely, who had been married nine times before him, as a “con artist” and said that he never loved her.
In another portion of the bizarre interview, while discussing his book Tales of a Rascal: What I Did for Love, Blake directs his hostility toward the police officers who worked on the murder case, ranting directly towards one of the cameras.
“I was supposed to die in that cell, wasn’t I? You bastards! But I didn’t die,” he said while speaking directly into the camera. “And you didn’t get your book deals, you mothers! I wrote a book about you!”
Then Blake turns to Morgan and said, “Sorry, I’m back,” as if nothing happened.
Check it out.
