Bryan Randall’s daughter Skylar Staten orphaned by his death
The death of Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner, Bryan Randall, sent shock waves throughout Hollywood, but for his only daughter, his untimely passing is the latest in a series of heartbreaks caused by drugs, abandonment and loss.
Skylar Staten, 29, suffered through the death of of her mother, Janine, and other family tragedies before her model-turned photographer father straightened his life out and started dating Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock, family friends told The Post.
Randall met Janine Staten while they were both in rehab when the two lived in Oregon in the early 1990s.
“Heroin was their drug of choice and I remember meeting them both when Janine was still pregnant [with Skylar],” recalled a friend who wanted to remain anonymous.
“Bryan had just gotten out of rehab at that point and they were both struggling. After Skylar was born, he was never around.”
When the couple split, Janine filed court papers against Randall seeking child support after Skylar was born in 1994, according to records obtained by The Post. She would later file a similar claim against him in 2004.
A former roommate told The Post Janine wanted to “move forward with her life” and raise her daughter, but fell back into using after she met another man who also was an addict.
“I knew of Janine because she had an affair with my husband and that broke up our marriage,” said a source, who asked not to be identified.
“She was a drug addict and he was a drug addict … and misery loves company. I was expecting my husband to be at work and not cheat on me. So now he’s my ex-husband.”
Although Janine and Skylar were often between homes, the young girl was “always well-behaved.”
“She was a beautiful little girl and very bright,” a former roommate said of Skylar. “I could see she was sometimes confused about what was going on around her, but she never really threw any tantrums. She was a normal, bright kid given the circumstances she was around.
“Janine was also very beautiful, and just brilliant. She had so much going for her but those drugs had a hold on her.”
When Janine died suddenly on Jan. 4, 2007, young Skylar was sent to live with her grandmother Perri Johnson. Sadly, Perri also would pass away not long after.
“I honestly think Perri died of a broken heart after losing Janine,” the former roommate said.
After her grandmother’s death, Skylar was sent to live with her estranged dad in Los Angeles. Family members said Randall stepped up, cleaned up his act and became a more involved father in his daughter’s life.
Randall, with his striking features, eventually entered the fashion industry and worked as a model, booking campaigns with major labels like Yves Saint Laurent and Hugo Boss. He also appeared in various fashion magazines like Vogue Paris and Harper’s Bazaar.
He eventually became more involved behind the camera and started his own company, Bryan Randall Photography. The former model and Bullock met when he photographed “The Blind Side” star’s son Louis’ birthday party in 2015.
Still reeling from her messy divorce from Jesse James after he cheated on her in 2010, Bullock allegedly hired private investigators to do some digging on Randall before they started dating.
“Investigators came around and said they were doing a background check on [Randall] because he was getting involved with her and she just wanted to know his history,” a friend told The Post.
But Bullock looked past Randall’s checkered past and even gushed over him during a December 2021 episode of the “Red Table Talk” as he was going through his secret battle with ALS.
“I found the love of my life,” Bullock said. “We share two beautiful children — three children [including] his older daughter. It’s the best thing ever.”
Just like Randall, Skylar has remained under the radar since her father’s involvement with the Oscar-winning actress.
She moved from Oregon to be with her dad shortly after her grandmother died and attended school in Los Angeles. After high school, Skylar moved to Arizona for college but has since moved back to Los Angeles, according to The Sun.
With her father’s death after a painful three-year battle with ALS, 29-year-old Skylar is left dealing with yet another heartbreak.
“My heart goes out to Skylar,” a family friend told The Post. “Her mom, who struggled for a long time, died tragically, and then her grandmother. And now her father, so she is now an orphan. Skylar has gone through so much in her young life.”
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