HOLLWOOD - Monday night, ABC aired a special "interview" with the spirit of Bonny Lee Bakley, the late wife of actor Robert Blake, conducted by psychic George Anderson. The "interview," which was part of the special Contact: Talking to the Dead, was actually taped before Blake's arrest on April 19, Reuters reports. The show also featured interviews with the dead relatives and loved ones of Vanna White, Mackenzie Phillips and WWF wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
It was the "interview" with Bakley, however, that had viewers glued to the screen.
Anderson, billed as one of the world's most influential mediums, said Saint Joseph accompanied Bakley as she spoke about her fate.
"She does admit she contributes to ending her life, but she doesn't want to say she committed suicide, and it's very important you understand that," Anderson told Bakley's sister, Margerry, and mother, Marjorie Carlyon.
Anderson added that Bakley described her death as "terrifying at first, and then...a very strong calm came over her."
Bakley's "spirit," however, gave no clue as to who killed her and had nothing to say about Blake.
"They already know that. She says you don't have to go over that again and relive the agony. She says we have to take up where it has been left off, " Anderson said.
The private things Bakley revealed through the medium struck Bakley's sister, who replied, "It's Bonny, out and out, word for word."
Robert Bianco, a TV critic for USA Today, told Reuters that while he does not object to shows featuring psychic mediums who claim to talk to the dead, he is skeptical about the concept.
"I will say up front that everybody has intelligence lines they won't cross, and mine is I believe people don't speak to the dead, especially on a 'will call' basis, " he said.
Bianco also joked that he tried to contact Bakley but noted, "Apparently the dead are busy up there and don't have a lot of time to chat."