It's been reported that Sandra Bullock's partner of eight years, Bryan Randall, has died after a three year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The couple, who were very private about their relationship, met in 2015 when the model-turned-photographer captured Sandra's son Louis’s birthday.
What is the meaning of ALS?
Randall kept his battle with ALS private; the disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes the muscles responsible for controlling voluntary movement to waste away. In a tribute on Instagram, Bullock's sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, shared that the actor had been the 'best caretaker' to her partner in his final years.
Bullock has not yet made a statement online, but People magazine has shared one from Randall's family: 'It is with great sadness that we share that on 5 August, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,' the announcement read. 'Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request. We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours. At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.'
Randall’s family asks for donations to be made to the ALS Association and the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall's relationship
Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall first started dating in 2015 after Randall photographed her son's birthday. Randall was previously a model, later forging a successful career in photography. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he focused primarily on children’s portraits and outdoor scenes with his own photography company Bryan Randall Photography.
During his time as a model, Randall starred in campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Hugo Boss, and also graced the pages of many fashion magazines, including Vogue Paris and Harper’s Bazaar Singapore. Bryan also briefly studied acting at Los Angeles drama school Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop.
Randall and Bullock were initially spotted getting cosy at Craig's, a West Hollywood restaurant, before Sandra took him as her date to Jennifer Aniston's wedding to Justin Theroux in August 2015. At the time, an onlooker told People that during their restaurant rendezvous, ‘He had his arm around her the entire meal. He was rubbing her arm, kissing her shoulder and at one point they cuddled up closer to look at something on her phone.’
They went on to date for eight years until his death, raising three children together. Bullock has two children that she adopted as a single parent, Louis Bardo Bullock (13) and Laila Bullock (11), and Randall has one daughter. In an interview with Red Table Talk in 2021, Bullock said she considers Randall the love of her life and explained they made the decision not to get marred.
'I found the love of my life,' she said. 'We share two beautiful children – three children, [Randall’s] older daughter. It’s the best thing ever. I don’t wanna say do it like I do it, but I don’t need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother... I don’t need to be told to be ever present in the hardest of times. I don’t need to be told to weather a storm with a good man.'
Who is Sandra Bullock's ex-husband, Jesse James?
But the assumption that Bullock and Randall were married is perhaps why there's been confusion online this morning, with 'Sandra Bullock husband' trending on Google as a breakout search term. However, when you Google 'Sandra Bullock husband' it comes up with Jesse James, the actor she married in 2005 but divorced in 2010. The end of the marriage came just after her Oscars win, when it was revealed that Jesse James had cheated with many, many other women. Speaking afterwards, Bullock said: 'I've been on the floor and I've been heartbroken. I didn't know how I was going to stand up. But I just gave it time.’