Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Robert Blake Gets Weird During CNN Interview, Piers Morgan Asks Him: "Are you sane?"
There's a reason why actor Robert Blake doesn't do a lot of interviews these days, and that was uncomfortably apparently last night when the man accused of killing his wife over a decade ago sat down with Piers Morgan.
When faced with the inevitable queries about the shooting death of Bonnie Lee Bakely, Blake asserted Morgan was calling him a liar. The actor also had some less-than-fond thoughts about his late wife, "calling her a con artist who moved to Hollywood to trick her way into show business," notes The Hollywood Reporter.
Blake, 78, said he was doing the interview to promote "Tales of a Rascal," his profanity-filled self-published memoir about his years as a child actor.
"I made a deal to come here and talk about anybody from the book," Blake told Morgan when pressed about Bakely's death. "I excused you from that deal because I thought you were going to be cool. Now you're trying to (bleep) into the ground."
The actor emphasized that Bakely's death (and his subsequent trial and acquittal) were not the most important moments in his life or career, and that his book was about his acting youth, not his dead wife.
Blake's replies were, as CNN summarizes, often "tirades," which prompted Morgan to calmly inquire of his guest: "Are you sane?"
It's not clear if it was to answer Morgan in the affirmative to the sanity question, but Blake managed to work in a funny old-timey insult to the host, calling him Charlie Potatoes and Charlie during the interview. (It's "from the 1958 movie 'The Defiant Ones' that describes a man who is rich and popular," notes CNN.)
Morgan, for his part, had a damn good time with Blake:
Here's a bit of the interview:
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.