Marlon Brado's son dies

This is another one I didn't see coming. The only time I remember seeing him was when he killed his sister's boyfriend.

RIP Christian.

http://www6.comcast.net/entertainment/articles/2008/01/27/Obit.Brando/

Man you just never know. RIP

Yes I just heard this. I remember him more for killing his sister's boyfriend as well. I really didn't know he had bit parts as an actor.

Anyway, it's too bad. Another death you wouldn't even think of.


RIP



TIS

WOW! These hollywood/political/sports personalites have been dropping like flies over the past two weeks.

Brando's son now.

What a tragic family they've been over the years. A shame.

Marlon Brando would have really been heartbroken had he still been alive.

It's bad enough Marlon lived to see his daughter's suicide.

I used to say that when JFK, Jr died. I'm glad Jackie didn't leave to see his death.

Me, too, Beth. But I feel so bad for Caroline. It must be so difficult to be the last one standing.

Too bad about Brando's son. It's been a wacky year with all these deaths.

Tragic news, What a handsome young man he was!

Very Sad..RIP

Christian Brando Dies at L.A. Hospital

By ROBERT JABLON – 2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian Brando, the troubled eldest son of the late actor Marlon Brando, has died from pneumonia at a Los Angeles hospital, an attorney said Saturday. He was 49.

Brando died Saturday morning at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, said David Seeley, an attorney representing Marlon Brando's estate. Seeley said Brando was taken to the hospital on Jan. 11.

"This is a sad and difficult time for the family," Seeley said.

Born on May 11, 1958, Brando was a high school dropout and never had much of a career. He had small roles in a handful of movies, including 1968's "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!" but he was better known for his brushes with the law.

He spent five years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in 1990 for killing his sister's boyfriend, Dag Drollet, at the Brando family's hilltop estate.

Brando said he accidentally shot Drollet as they struggled for a gun during an argument over whether Drollet, 26, had beaten Brando's pregnant half-sister, Cheyenne.

Cheyenne, who later gave birth to Drollet's son but lost custody of the child, committed suicide in 1995. She was 25. Family associates said she had been distraught since her boyfriend's death.

In a 1991 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Brando said he never intended to kill Drollet, but wanted to scare him. "I just sat there and watched the life go out of this guy," Brando said.

At his son's trial, Marlon Brando pleaded for leniency, telling the court: "I think that perhaps I failed as a father."

Brando's ex-wife, Deborah Brando, sued him for domestic violence in 2005. She claimed that shortly after their 2004 marriage, Brando repeatedly beat her and threatened to kill her in the presence of her teenage daughter.

Brando countersued, alleging that his ex-wife broke into his home and beat him because he wanted to annul their marriage only 10 weeks after exchanging vows.

The lawsuits were settled last year on undisclosed terms.

Brando was charged January 2005 with two counts of spousal abuse and he later pleaded no contest. He was placed on three years' probation and ordered to drug and alcohol rehabilitation as well as a spousal-abuse prevention program.

Brando also was the one-time lover of Bonnie Lee Bakley, who was shot to death in 2001. At one time, Bakley claimed Brando had fathered her child but tests showed it belonged to actor Robert Blake, whom she later married.

Blake was tried for her murder and acquitted but later ordered to pay $30 million in a wrongful death lawsuit. During that civil case, Blake's lawyer suggested Brando was the killer, although police never implicated him.

Brando, who had denied any involvement, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination on the stand during the trial.

Seeley said Brando was not married at the time of his death and did not leave any children.

Brando was the eldest of the actor's nine children, according to a will the Oscar-winner left following his death in 2004. Brando's mother was actress Anna Kashfi. She and Marlon Brando divorced after a year.

That touched off a 16-year custody battle for Christian, who was 5 months old at the time of the separation.

"I found him to be an extremely personable, bright gentleman," said Bruce Margolin, an attorney who represented Brando. "He was very well-loved in his family. I think his life was too short."

There are no funeral plans yet scheduled, he added.

Probably true. But Brando is dead so let's take a moment to think about Christian's mother who I presume is alive and has lost her son a second and final time.

And even if she's not...had Mr. Brando recognized his parenting limitations and not fought for custody of his children, BOTH Shawnee and Christian may have led much happier lives, suffered much less 'tragic' circumstances, and very well might still be around today.

Speaking of the Kennedy's...I agree that it's better Jackie did not live to see the death of her son. She never liked the idea of him piloting and I believe if she were still alive he would not have been flying that plane.

And I think it's both hilarious and WONDERFUL that Caroline, lonely as she may be as the 'last one standing'...has decided to support Obama over Clinton for the Dem nomination.

AppleOnYa

She's still alive.

Marlon Brando may have felt that he failed as a father when his son was on trial years ago, but you can't make the assumption that his son would have lead a much happier life had his father not fought for custody of him when he was younger. His mother supposedly abused him both physically and mentally when he was a young child and that is why Marlon fought for custody of Christian from her.

Truth is we'll never really know what happened because the Brando world seems to have been a huge mess filled with disasters and tragedy over the years.





And this has what to do with the news of Brando's death?

And even if she's not...had Mr. Brando recognized his parenting limitations and not fought for custody of his children, BOTH Shawnee and Christian may have led much happier lives, suffered much less 'tragic' circumstances, and very well might still be around today.

From what I understand, Christian's mother was pretty unstable herself, so I don't know if he would have been better off with her either. I don't think the poor kid stood a chance given the family he came from.

So much for resting in peace.

January 30, 2008 -- IT'S war over the body of Christian Brando, who died Saturday in Los Angeles, as authorities try to figure out what killed the son of the late legend Marlon Brando. An autopsy yesterday listed the cause of death as deferred, pending toxicology tests to find out if he had prescription or other drugs in his system - and whether a medical condition was involved. The autopsy was requested "based on his past drug history," the LA county coroner said. Christian's estranged mom, Anna Kashfi, requested it.

Meanwhile, his ex-wife has teamed up with Kashfi to battle Christian's girlfriend and adopted siblings over who will get his remains and what will be done with them.

The ex, Debra Presley, married him in 2004 - for all of three months - and claims to be the illegitimate daughter of Elvis.


"These two want to take the remains to Washington and have him buried because he used to live there," said Keith Fink, a lawyer for Donna Geon, Brando's girlfriend of three years.

"They don't want his girlfriend or the siblings to even see the body, for no reason at all."

But Geon says Christian's wishes were to be cremated and have his ashes spread in Franklin Park in Los Angeles, the same place his father had some of his ashes spread.

Christian's half-sister, Rebecca Brando, and half-brother, Teihotu Brando, along with Geon, hired Fink to assist them in getting rights to the body.

Fink plans to file a motion in LA Superior Court on the trio's behalf to have the corpse released to them once it leaves the county coroner's office.

"Their grievance is that they're the ones who loved Christian. They want his remains to stay in California and they want to do what he wished," said Fink.

"Meanwhile, the mortuary complained to me that Anna ignored them when they explained how the body should be properly clothed and cared for. They are just being petty, vindictive, small people who border on loony toons."

A family spokeswoman for Kashfi and Presley did not return calls.

Sad situation indeed.