Bonnie Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 – May 4, 2001) was a woman from America most recognized as the second spouse of actor Robert Blake, her tenth husband. Her existence was intricate, marked by a fervent fascination with celebrities, deceptions, numerous unions, and legal complications. She was shot and fatally wounded while seated in Robert Blake’s stationary vehicle outside Vitello’s eatery in Studio City, California, on May 4, 2001. Blake faced murder charges in 2002 but was acquitted in a criminal trial in March 2005.
After Bakley’s relatives initiated a civil wrongful-death lawsuit, Blake was deemed liable in November 2005 and instructed to compensate $30 million, later diminished to $15 million upon appeal. As of January 2026, Bakley’s homicide remains officially unresolved, with no new arrests, charges, or significant updates reported in 2025. Her narrative continues to be showcased in true-crime documentaries, podcasts, books, and dialogues about celebrity scandals from the late 1990s and early 2000s. There have been no recent films, miniseries, or legal developments regarding her estate since the early 2010s.
Here is a concise overview of key details regarding Bonnie Lee Bakley:
| Complete Name | Bonnie Lee Bakley |
| Birth Date | June 7, 1956 |
| Death Date | May 4, 2001 |
| Age at Passing | 44 years old |
| Place of Birth | Morristown, New Jersey, United States |
| Height | About 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) |
| Estimated Net Worth at Passing (2001) | Approximately $1–$2 million (from scams, mail-order enterprises, real estate, and cash; widely contested or seized) |
| Most Notable Marriage | Robert Blake (married November 2000 – her death May 2001) |
| Most Notable Child | Rose Lenore Sophia Blake (daughter with Robert Blake) |
Early Life
Bonnie Lee Bakley was raised in Morristown, New Jersey. Her parents were Edward J. Bakley, an arborist, and Marjorie Lois Bakley. She had three siblings, Margerry, Lisa, and Joe Bakley, along with a half-brother, Peter Carlyon, from her mother’s second marriage. Much of her childhood was spent with her grandmother in Glen Gardner, New Jersey, while her mother operated an antique shop in Wharton.
At the age of 15, Bakley exited high school and relocated to New York City, aspiring to become a model and actress. She enrolled in the Barbizon School of Modelling. During this period, she encountered Evangelos Paulakis, an immigrant who required marriage for U.S. residency. Bakley consented to a compensated marriage, but it concluded swiftly, and he was deported. At 21, she wed her first cousin, Paul Gawron. This union lasted approximately five years, the longest of her ten marriages, and they had two offspring, Glenn and Holly. They divorced in 1982.
Subsequently, Bakley initiated a mail-order venture selling nude photographs of women, including herself, to men. She also advertised “lonely hearts” in magazines seeking male companions. She established relationships through correspondence before requesting funds for rent or travel expenses. These endeavors enabled her to purchase several homes in Memphis, Tennessee, and one near Los Angeles. She attempted to forge a career in Hollywood as a musician and actress, adopting the stage name Lee Bonney, but never attained success in film or entertainment.
Legal Issues
Bakley’s business activities led to multiple arrests. In 1989, she faced charges for drug possession in Memphis and paid a $300 fine. In 1995, she was detained for attempting to cash two fraudulent checks from a Memphis recording company. She accepted lesser charges, paid a $1,000 fine, and worked weekends on a penal farm. In 1998, she was apprehended in Little Rock, Arkansas, for possessing five driver’s licenses and seven Social Security cards under various names. She utilized these fraudulent identifications to set up post office boxes for her lonely hearts scams.
These events illustrated a pattern of legal difficulties associated with her methods of income generation.
Celebrity Obsession
Friends and family frequently remarked that Bakley was fixated on celebrities. She desired to marry someone famous, believing it would enhance her sense of significance. Phone recordings from her life capture her enchantment with stardom and her resolve.
In 1990, she began pursuing singer Jerry Lee Lewis. She met him and grew close to his sister, Linda Gail Lewis. In 1993, Bakley gave birth to a daughter named Jeri Lee and asserted that Jerry Lee Lewis was the father, although subsequent DNA tests disproved this. Following Jeri Lee’s birth, Bakley relocated to California, leaving her daughter with her ex-spouse, Paul Gawron, who raised her with Bakley’s financial assistance.
In California, she pursued other celebrities such as Dean Martin, Frankie Valli (she claimed they dated as teenagers, although he denied it), and Gary Busey. In 1991, she became interested in Christian Brando, Marlon Brando’s son. Christian had served time for voluntary manslaughter. While he was incarcerated, Bakley wrote letters and sent photographs. After his release in 1996, they initiated a romantic relationship. By 1999, she was expecting and initially believed Christian was the father. In June 2000, she gave birth to a daughter, initially named Christian Shannon Brando.
Marriage to Robert Blake
While dating Christian Brando, Bakley also began a relationship with actor Robert Blake in 1999 after their encounter at a jazz club. After the birth of her baby, she informed Blake that the father’s identity was uncertain and suggested he might be the biological parent. Blake requested a paternity test, which confirmed he was indeed the father. The child’s name was legally altered to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake.
Blake agreed to marry Bakley only if she signed a temporary custody arrangement. The agreement restricted her visits with Rose to supervised occasions, necessitated written consent for visitors to Blake’s residence, and stated that if the marriage dissolved, the other parent would retain custody. Bakley’s attorney argued that it was unjust, yet she signed it on October 4, 2000, because of her eagerness to marry. They wed in November 2000.
The couple never cohabited. Bakley and Rose resided in a guest house adjacent to Blake’s property in Studio City. Their relationship was fraught with tension. Blake harbored mistrust toward her and engaged a private investigator, who discovered that she continued her illicit schemes even after their marriage.
Marriages and Children
Bakley was married ten times, and many of these unions were brief—one lasted merely a day. Her eighth husband, Glynn Wolfe, was known for holding the record for the most marriages.
She had four children:
- Glenn and Holly with Paul Gawron (second husband).
- Jeri Lee (born July 28, 1993) with an unknown man (not Jerry Lee Lewis, as indicated by DNA).
- Rose Lenore Sophia Blake (born June 2000) with Robert Blake.
Rose, now in her mid-20s, has become an actress and appeared in projects like “Happy Anniversary” (2025). She was primarily raised by her half-sister after her mother’s passing and has publicly discussed her challenging upbringing, including reconnecting with her father prior to his death.
Death
On May 4, 2001, Blake and Bakley dined at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City. Later, while seated in Blake’s 1991 Dodge Stealth parked nearby, Bakley was shot in the head and died. Blake stated he returned to the restaurant for a gun he had overlooked, which tests confirmed was not involved in the shooting, and claimed he was absent during the incident. Bakley was 44 years old. She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Criminal and Civil Suits
In 2002, Robert Blake faced charges of murder, solicitation, conspiracy, and lying in wait. In March 2005, a jury acquitted him of the criminal charges. The prosecution argued that Blake was enraged over being deceived into parenthood for financial gain, yet they lacked substantial evidence directly connecting him to the offense.
In November 2005, a civil jury ruled Blake liable for wrongful death in a lawsuit filed by Bakley’s children. They awarded $30 million, which was later adjusted to $15 million on appeal in 2008. Blake filed for bankruptcy in 2006 due to legal fees, taxes, and a judgment.
Movies and Net Worth
Bakley had no notable film roles or acting credits under her pseudonym Lee Bonney or otherwise. Her attempts in Hollywood did not result in any movies or public entertainment accomplishments.
There are no precise public figures regarding her net worth at the time of her death, but her scams and property acquisitions, including several homes in Memphis and near Los Angeles, indicate she profited somewhat from her enterprises. Nonetheless, much of it was expended on her lifestyle and legal troubles. Estimates are limited as her income stemmed from informal ventures rather than stable employment.
The case remains a prominent unsolved murder in the annals of Hollywood history. Robert Blake passed away from heart disease on March 9, 2023, at the age of 89.
