Blake Denies Role in Wife’s Shooting

During his second day of testimony in a wrongful-death lawsuit, actor Robert Blake acknowledged that he may have said disparaging things about his wife before she was shot to death.

But he never asked anyone to kill her, he said.

“I could easily have been venting and saying things,” Blake said. “When I’m angry, I run my mouth.”

Blake, 72, testified in the civil suit brought by the family of Bonny Lee Bakley. The star of the 1970s “Baretta” TV series was acquitted earlier this year of murder in Bakley’s May 4, 2001, death. He did not testify during the criminal trial.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Schacter frequently tried to rein in Blake and Bakley family attorney Eric J. Dubin on Monday, but was mostly unsuccessful.

At one point, when Dubin’s questions seemed to wander, the judge said: “Let’s get back to the question. We’re all over the place.”

Dubin responded: “I’m lost myself, your honor.”

Although Schacter ruled that testimony from Blake’s criminal trial was irrelevant, he nevertheless allowed Dubin to introduce excerpts of testimony from a witness who has not appeared in the civil trial.

The witness, New York actor Frank Minucci, said Blake had discussed killing Bakley with him.

Dubin asked Blake: “In any way, shape or form did you discuss whacking Bonny Lee Bakley with Frank Minucci?”

“No!” Blake replied.

Dubin also read from depositions Blake had given before the civil trial. Blake recalled making some of the statements but said others were unfamiliar.

He recalled saying of Bakley: “We got married to get to know each other and see if we could make it together.”

He acknowledged that he had negative views about Bakley’s family and may have said they were “monsters.”

“Was the reason you married Bonny Lee Bakley to get custody of Rosie Blake?” Dubin asked about the couple’s now-5-year-old daughter.

“No,” Blake answered.

Blake has been combative during much of the questioning by Dubin, which began Thursday. At one point Monday, he and Dubin were heatedly waving their arms at each other.

The behavior prompted the judge to comment: “Now we’ve had the B-movie version.”

Bakley’s four children are suing Blake, saying he was responsible for their mother’s death. Bakley, 44, was killed as she sat in Blake’s car outside a Studio City restaurant where they had just dined.

Much of the questioning focused on Blake’s daughter Rosie, who is among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The girl is being raised by Blake’s adult daughter, Delinah.

Blake acknowledged that he had a written agreement to marry Bakley after a DNA test showed he was Rosie’s father.