Tags
abuse, accidental, broken jaw, car accident, Celebrity, Cheyenne Brando, Christian Brando, Dag Drollet, depressed, drugs, eye laceration, half brother, hanging, Marlon Brando, model, pled, reconstructive surgery, schizophrenia, shot, suicide, suicide attempts, Tahitian, Tarita Teriipaia, torn ear, voluntary manslaughter
Cheyenne Brando (February 20, 1970 – April 16, 1995)
Tarita Cheyenne Brando was the daughter of actor Marlon Brando and his third wife, Tahitian actress Tarita Teriipaia. Marlon and Teriipaia divorced in 1972 and had very little to do with Cheyenne and brother Tehotu, not allowing them to visit him in the U.S. and virtually only seeing them in Tahiti (south of Papeete) about once a year. She dropped out of school and began to take drugs. Cheyenne found work as a model. In 1989, Cheyenne was seriously injured in a car accident after she crashed a Jeep she had been driving. She broke her jaw, tore an ear and sustained a severe laceration under her eye that required reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries to repair. In 1990, she was allowed to move to Los Angeles to live with him for the surgeries, which ended her modelling career. Afterwards she became depressed and had multiple suicide attempts. Another reason why Cheyenne was allowed to move in with her father was to await the birth of her son Tuki. Her boyfriend Dag Drollet was also allowed to move in. The Brandos and Drollets had been longtime friends. On May 16, 1990, Drollet was shot by her half-brother Christian and died. Christian claimed the shooting was accidental. Christian confronted Drollet about claims of abuse by Cheyenne against him. The gun went off after Drollet tried to take it away from Christian. Christian was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Prosecutors wanted Cheyenne to testify against Christian to prove premeditation. She refused and sought refuge in Tahiti with her mother. On June 26, Tuki was born. Without Cheyenne’s help, Christian pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years. (He served five years and received three years probation. In an interview after his release he now states he doubts the validity of the abuse claims due to Cheyenne’s mental instability and feels “like a complete chump for believing her.”) Cheyenne’s mental state deteriorated and was in and out of drug rehabs and psychiatric hospitals, even accusing Marlon of molesting her and being an accomplice in Drollet’s death (both accusations that he denies). She was formally diagnosed with schizophrenia and lost custody of Tuki who was given to her mother. In 1995, she hanged herself in her mother’s home in Punaauia, Tahiti. Neither Marlon nor Christian attended her funeral. She is buried in the crypt of Drollet’s family in Papeete, Tahiti.