The Tragic Story of Marlon Brando’s Son Christian

Lauren Novak August 29, 2:00 pm

Marlon Brando and Christian Brando — Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

For children of actors, it isn’t always easy growing up in the spotlight despite having a privileged life. One of those children who had a difficult time was Marlon Brando‘s son, Christian Brando.

Born on May 11, 1958, in Los Angeles, Christian Devi Brando was the son of Marlon Brando and actress Anna Kashfi. His parents’ marriage dissolved just a year after his birth, igniting a bitter custody battle that stretched for over a decade. Christian spent his childhood pulled between two warring parents, often left in the care of nannies while Marlon traveled or pursued other relationships. Years later, Christian admitted that with so many half and step-siblings coming and going, he often felt like he was living with strangers at his own breakfast table.

The chaos only escalated as he grew older. In 1972, when Christian was just 14, his mother kidnapped him and took him to Mexico, hiding him with a group of “hippies.” He was eventually rescued by private investigators hired by Marlon, but the ordeal left lasting scars. By his late teens, Christian had dropped out of school, was experimenting with drugs, and drifted away from Hollywood life. He found some peace in Washington state, where he took up welding and worked outdoors, but trouble always seemed to find its way back into his life.

Anna Kashfi, right, and her son, Christian Brando, at home in Beverly Hills, summer 1961

Everett Collection

The turning point came in 1990, when Christian fatally shot Dag Drollet, the boyfriend of his half-sister Cheyenne, inside his father’s Mulholland Drive home. Christian claimed that Cheyenne had told him Drollet was abusive and that he only meant to scare him. That night, after drinking heavily, he confronted Drollet, and in the struggle that followed, he fired the gun.

The shooting dominated headlines, and when Christian later pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Christian was sentenced to 10 years in prison and served five before his release in 1996. During that time, Cheyenne, who had long struggled with her mental health, died by suicide in 1995, leaving behind her young son.

Marlon Brando, right, with his son, Christian Brando,

Everett Collection

In the early 2000s, his name surfaced again during the murder trial of actor Robert Blake, when Christian’s past relationship with Blake’s wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was brought to light. Though never charged in her death, his entanglement in the case kept him in the public eye for all the wrong reasons.

072316 01: Mug shot of Christian Brando, the son of Marlon Brando, after being arrested in Los Angeles, CA, May 17, 1990. (Photo by Liaison)

Liaison/Getty Images

Christian’s personal relationships were equally tumultuous. His first marriage to make-up artist Mary McKenna ended quietly, but his second, to actress Deborah Presley, was marred by allegations of abuse. In 2005, he pleaded no contest to spousal abuse and was sentenced to probation and rehab. On January 26, 2008, Christian died of pneumonia at the age of 49. He was laid to rest in Kalama, Washington.