Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

The Life of Christian Brando

Christian Devi Brando (May 11,1958 – January 26, 2008) was an American actor who was one of theeleven children of actor Marlon Brando, and the only one Brando hadwith his first wife, former actress Anna Kashfi.

On May 16, 1990, Brando fatally shotDag Drollet, the boyfriend of his half-sister Cheyenne, at hisfather's residence on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Thefamily drama and trial were heavily publicized that year. He pleadedguilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to prison in 1991. He wasreleased in 1996. In 2004, information introduced at the trial ofRobert Blake for the 2001 murder of his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley,exposed Brando's relationship with Bakley and his possibleinvolvement in her murder. In 2005, Brando pleaded no contest tospousal abuse of his then-wife Deborah and was given probation. Hedied of pneumonia on January 26, 2008, aged 49.

Early life

Christian Brando was named after hisfather's longtime friend French film director Christian Marquand wholater directed Marlon in the film Candy (1968). Christian was born inLos Angeles, California on May 11, 1958, the product of an affairbetween Marlon Brando and Anna Kashfi, an actress born to a Britishfamily in colonial India. Marlon and Kashfi met in 1955, and Kashfibecame pregnant in 1957. They married in 1958 and divorced one yearlater.

Christian was shuttled between hismother and father. His parents became increasingly hostile andabusive toward one another, and engaged in a protracted custodybattle. The 12-year custody battle and his mother's uncontrollabletemper due to her abuse of drugs and alcohol had a major effect onyoung Christian. Marlon eventually won custody of Christian, who wasthen 13 years old At that time, Marlon had described his son as a"basket case of emotional disorder".

Marlon was a distant father and spentlittle time with young Christian, who was raised by nannies andservants. Christian moved between Hollywood and Tetiaroa, hisfather's private island near Tahiti. Marlon continued to haverelationships with multiple women by whom he fathered numerouschildren. Years later, while commenting on his childhood, Christiansaid, "The family kept changing shape, I'd sit down at thebreakfast table and say, 'Who are you?'"

In 1972, while his father was abroad inFrance filming Last Tango in Paris, Christian was kidnapped by hismother, who took him from school, then brought him to a gang ofhippie friends in Baja California, Mexico. Apparently, she hadpromised them $10,000 if they would hide Christian away. When sherefused to pay, they took and hid the boy; a posse of privatedetectives hired by Marlon, from an agency named "TheInvestigators," led by private investigator Jay J. Armes,rescued him late one night. He was found living in a tent and illwith bronchial pneumonia. His mother was arrested near the Mexicanborder after being pulled over for drunk driving and disorderlybehavior. Back in court his father was awarded sole custody.

During his teen years, he dropped outof high school and began drinking and using LSD. He was an occasionalactor but was not interested in being in the spotlight. He ran awayfrom home to Washington state to move in with family friends,something that his father later approved and supported him in. Hisfather would visit him there and later purchased a remote cabin forhim where he practiced artistic welding at the age of 22. He woulddivide his time between there and his father's Hollywood Hillsresidence.