How did Robert Downey Sr die? Actor did drugs with his son Robert Downey Jr when he was kid
Robert Downey Sr, the actor, filmmaker and father of the cinema icon, Robert Downey Jr passed away on July 6. He was 85 years old. Robert Downey Sr reportedly died in his sleep at his New York City home, according to his wife, Rosemary Rogers. The cause of his death is not clear at the moment.
The star was reportedly battling Parkinson’s disease for more than five years. He was best known for stints in movies like 'Boogie Nights,' 'Magnolia' and 'To Live and Die in LA'. We have witnessed the demise of many great stars in the year 2021. The industry mourned the passing away of actors Frank Bonner, Ned Beatty, Richard Donner recently.
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Robert Downey Jr announced the tragic news on his Instagram. He wrote, "RIP Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021…Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s ..he was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout..According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you."
According to IMDB, Robert Downey Sr was born in New York. He served in the army, played minor-league baseball, was a Golden Gloves boxing champ and a playwright for off-off-Broadway productions all before the age of 22. Robert Downey Sr married thrice. He was married to his third wife, Rosemary Rogers for over 20 years. His first marriage was to actress Elsie Ann Downey (née Ford) (1934–2014), with whom he had two children, Allyson Downey and Robert Downey Jr. The couple divorced in 1975. He then married actress-writer Laura Ernst, who died in 1994 from Lou Gehrig's disease. Robert Downey Sr's most recent film was 2011’s 'Tower Heist,' which also starred Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck.
Robert Downey Jr had a complicated relationship with his father
Robert Downey Sr was addicted to drugs and alcohol, which led to his son being exposed to them at a very young age. Downey Sr once admitted to The Guardian that he gave his son a joint as a joke. "And I go, ‘You ought to try a little of this instead of drinking.’ I passed him a joint. And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake … giving a little kid a toke of grass just to be funny, " he recalled. As Downey Jr grew up, he and his father bonded over drugs. In an interview for the book 'The New Breed', in 1998, Downey Jr said, "When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how."
As a result of the drug use in his childhood, Downey Jr developed a drug problem in his adulthood. After having several run-ins with the law, when he was released from prison in 2001, he decided to steer his life in the right direction by seeking help for his addiction and the rest is history. Back in 2001 when Downey Jr was having legal troubles, Downey Sr spoke to The Post at length about the difficulties being in Hollywood. "Life is too easy when you’re a movie star. People will do anything you want and get you anything you want. Hollywood is a horrible place." Speaking of his cocaine addiction he said, "Ten years of cocaine around the clock. I didn’t beat it until ’81, until my late wife gave me an ultimatum. I officially quit in front of my son. He keeps reminding me about it. I tell him, ‘If it made such an impression on you, then why can’t you do the same thing?’"