Who Is Cate Blanchett's Brother? New Details On Robert Blanchett's Claims She's Left Him Broke And Penniless
Rumors say they don't speak.
Getty Relationships with family are never as easy as we'd like them to be. Even siblings who get along like a proverbial house on fire sometimes have days when they want to rip each other's hair out! That's true probably of everyone you know, and it's definitely true for Hollywood celebrities too, we just don't often hear about it. Recently Cate Blanchett's brother Robert Blanchett was spotted on a street in his Australian neighborhood. Robert professed to be broke and disabled which begs the question, why isn't his wealthy movie star sister helping him? Here's what we know about the supposed feud. Who is Cate Blanchett's brother?
1. Cate's Birthday
If you follow movies at all, you know who Cate Blanchett is. The Academy Award winning Australian born actress is practically a living legend. It doesn't matter what kind of role she tackles, be it a historical drama like the hit film Elizabeth or lavish big-budget heist flicks like her recent foray into the Ocean's franchise of films, Cate always delivers. Cate recently celebrated her 50th birthday at her lavish English manor home, but there was one person missing from the festivities that had the tabloids talking: her older brother Robert Blanchett. In fact, when reporters got a hold of Cate's big brother, they were pretty surprised by what they happened to find. It begs the question, what's going on between these two siblings?
2. Meet Robert
At 51-years-old, Robert Blanchett is Cate's older brother. Named after their late father, Robert, Cate was once so close with her brother that it wasn't entirely uncommon to see snaps of them together on the red carpet or at Hollywood parties, particularly during the early aughts. However, that was a long time ago and it appears that things are changing. He's making headlines these days because of a brief interview he did with a reporter for Radar Online. In this interview, conducted the same day as Cate's birthday party, her brother back home in Melbourne made it clear that he wasn't invited to the big day. When asked if they are in touch he said: "Come on, now! She’s got a team who make people [comfortable] on her behalf. But I’m not one of them.”
3. Childhood Friends
While Cate no longer lives in Australia, Robert still lives in Melbourne, very close to where the Blanchetts were all born and raised. However, now that Cate is rich and famous, Radar alludes to the fact that the actress, worth $84 million, can more than afford to buy a home for her brother who is described as being disabled and photographed using a walker. According to people who knew them both back in the day, Cate and Robert were once as thick as thieves. If that's the case of their childhood days, Radar would very much like people to believe that this is not the case any longer. Kathy Hutchens, a former teacher of Cate's said: “Cate used to tell the other children...‘He’s my brother, leave him alone.’ Cate was always looking out for him and making sure he was all right."
4. Their Parents
Cate and Robert are the children of June and Robert Blanchett, senior. June worked full-time as a real estate developer and as a teacher, prior to her retirement. Her husband Robert was an actually an American who met June while serving in the Army. Tragically, he died of cardiac arrest when he was just 42-years-old. June never remarried, he was her one true love. These two aren't the only siblings in the family, either. The youngest Blanchett is Genevieve. Gen graduated with a degree in architectural design and has dabbled in various fields, including production design. Sounds like movie making is in her blood! She currently lives in New Zealand and is a devoted yoga practitioner.
5. Truth To Rumors?
A quick street interview with a celeb's sibling is hardly definitive proof of a feud. Robert did seem a bit curt when talking about his sister, that's true, but when you're bombarded on the sidewalk by a reporter while waiting for the bus, you're hardly going to take the time to wax poetic about your bond, are you? Still, it's clear he's got a chip on his shoulder about his sister. All of that said, you can't really assess an entire relationship between two people you don't know based on a tabloid reporter's brief encounter with just one of them. As of right now, Cate Blanchett hasn't issued any statements regarding the claims that her brother is broke and desperate. Whatever is going on between them is staying between them, at least, for now!
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.