Sandra Bullock called late partner Bryan Randall ‘a saint’ in 2021… during his private ALS battle that led to his death at age 57: ‘I found the love of my life’

Sandra Bullock called her partner Bryan Randall “very patient,” “a saint,” and “evolved on a level that’s not human” in a 2021 interview amid his secret ALS battle that led to his tragic passing Saturday.

The 59-year-old actress spoke about Randall, a photographer, on a 2021 edition of Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris.

“He’s the example I’d like to set for my kids,” the Oscar-winning star said of Randall, who passed away after privately battling the disease for three years.

During the exchange, Bullock also said she didn’t feel the need to exchange vows with Randall amid their committed relationship.

“I’m someone who’s been through the divorce process,” Bullock said. ‘I have found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children – three children, his eldest daughter. It’s the best ever.

Bullock and Randall were photographed in NYC in 2018, prior to his ALS diagnosis

“So I don’t want to say do it the way I do it, but I don’t need a paper to be a devoted partner or a devoted mother.”

Bullock, who was previously married to Jesse James from 2005 to 2010, said she “didn’t need to be told to always be there in the toughest of times” or “to weather a storm with a good man.”

The Speed ​​actress spoke about the relationship dynamic she shared with Randall, a one-time model, and the example he set for her two children — son Louis, 13, and daughter Laila, 10. Randall also fathered daughter Skylar Staten, 29 , from a previous relationship.

“There are two very different ways of looking at things,” Bullock said. And I don’t always agree with him. He doesn’t always agree with me.

“But he’s an example, even if I disagree with him saying, ‘If they can take that away, and if that’s what they’re attracted to, then he’s just the right parent.'”

The Bird Box actress testified to Randall’s confidence in the chat, saying, “I have a partner who is very Christian.”

The Blind Side star and Bryan initially crossed paths in 2015 when he was on hand to take pictures for her son’s birthday.

They were last seen in public in July 2020 in Studio City, California, while she was out with her two children.

The Bird Box actress talked about Randall, a photographer, on a 2021 edition of Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris

The Oscar-winning star said of Randall, who died after privately battling the disease for three years: ‘He’s the example I’d like to set for my kids’

On the Red Table Talk outing, Bullock said Randall was a positive presence for her as a parent, even though he wasn’t involved in the adoption process.

On the Red Table Talk outing, she said Randall was a positive presence for her as a parent, even though he wasn’t involved in the adoption process.

“I had Louis first,” she said. “And when I met Randall, and I was like, and we hadn’t been together very long.”

She continued, “I’m going, ‘Remember that NDA you signed when you photographed my son?’ He was like “Yeah.” He’s still scared. His whole life had been unraveled by me.

And I said, “You know, that’s still true.” And he said, “Yeah, okay, okay, okay, why?” And I thought, “Because I’m bringing a kid home when I come back from Toronto.” And he said, “Sorry, what?”‘

Bullock said her partner was “so happy, but…scared” at the same time with the development.

Randall’s family has issued a statement People confirmed his death, saying: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Bryan Randall passed away peacefully on August 5 after a three-year battle with ALS.

“Bryan chose early on to keep his journey with ALS private, and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.”

The statement continued, “We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this disease with us and the amazing nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours.

“At this time, we ask for privacy to mourn and to accept the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.”

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): details of a deadly disease for which there is no cure

What is it?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurogenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain, according to the Mayo clinic. It gets progressively worse and causes significant loss of muscle control in people who have it.

Therapy

There is no cure for ALS and the disease is fatal, but it progresses at different rates in patients.

Symptoms

The first signs of ALS are muscle twitching, limb weakness, and difficulty swallowing and speaking. Gradually, it worsens muscle control and affects a person’s ability to breathe, move, speak, and eat.

ALS symptoms correspond to where nerve cells in each person deteriorate, and can lead to difficulty walking, stumbling, and weakness of the knees, ankles, and hands.

It can also lead to problems with muscle spasms and twitching in areas such as the tongue, arms, and shoulders. People with ALS have experienced untimely episodes of laughter, tears and yawning, as well as changes in one’s thought process or behavior, according to the clinic.

Risk factors

One of the risk factors researchers have identified for ALS includes genetics, as about 10 percent of people diagnosed with ALS have passed down a gene from a family member, which the clinic says is called hereditary ALS. Children of people with hereditary ALS have a 50 percent chance of having the gene.

Age is also a factor as the risk of getting the disease trends up to age 75, with the most common group of people having it between the ages of 60 and 85. up to age 65, the clinic said.

Other factors that have been linked to ALS include smoking and exposure to toxins. The clinic reported that military personnel are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS.

Causes

There is no known cause of ALS, according to the Mayo Clinic, and in a small number of cases, heredity plays a role.

Lou Gehrig was one of baseball’s foremost stars when he played for the Yankees from 1923 to 1939. Known as “The Iron Horse,” he played in 2,130 consecutive games before ALS forced his retirement. The record was broken in 1995 by Cal Ripken Jr

Lou Gehrig’s disease

In addition to being known as ALS, it is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Lou Gehrig was a loyal first baseman for the New York Yankees between 1923 and 1939. Known for his strength and durability, he earned the nickname “The Iron Horse” with a record streak of 2,130 consecutive games.

In a July 4, 1939 speech on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium, the ballplayer famously said, “For the past two weeks you’ve been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the happiest man on earth.’

His popularity and fame transcended the sport of baseball. He died two years after his diagnosis on June 2, 1941.