Sandra Bullock Discusses Late Partner Bryan Randall's ALS Battle on Podcast

Actress Sandra Bullock opened up about the death of her partner Bryan Randall, who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on Aug. 5, 2023 at age 57, during an appearance on the Smartless podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. Randall, a photographer, had asked Bullock not to disclose his diagnosis, a request she said she honored, with only her sister Gesine Bullock-Prado initially aware of his condition. Bullock described how keeping the illness private left her feeling isolated while she cared for Randall and raised her two children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said she eventually confided in friends, including Jennifer Aniston and Amanda, Bateman’s wife, and explained that she began grieving Randall several years before his death as his health declined. Bullock noted that Randall had been ill for at least half of the eight years they were together, and that she only fully processed his loss after his passing. The couple began dating in January 2015 after she hired him to photograph her son Louis’s fifth birthday party and made their first public appearance at a Los Angeles premiere ten months later.

Randall’s family released a statement after his death, saying he chose to keep his ALS journey private and thanking medical staff for their care, while requesting privacy for the family’s grieving process.