US magazine sparks backlash for reporting Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall ‘split’ six days after his death

The model-turned-photographer died from ALS

A celebrity tabloid magazine in the US has been sharply criticised after it appeared report that Sandra Bullock and her longterm partner Bryan Randall had a “messy split”, just days after it was confirmed that the photographer died of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

The latest edition of Star magazine, which is also known as In Touch Weekly, has reportedly published a cover showing separate photos of Bullock and Randall, with the headline: “Sandra and Bryan: It’s Over.”

However, the edition was released on Friday (11 August), just four days after Randall’s family announced that the 57-year-old had died, on Monday (7 August). He “passed away peacefully” on Saturday (5 August) after a private three-year struggle with ALS.

Twitter user Paul Lang posted a screenshot apparently showing the cover, which many people have commented on, condemning the magazine for its inaccurate and “insensitive” reporting.

The Independent has contacted Star magazine for comment.

Lang wrote in his post: “It must have been a loooong week for the editors at Star magazine, waiting for this cover to come out today.”

The cover image also includes text that reads: “Why Bryan walked away after eight years; Awkward bickering at dinner parties!; How she told the kids.”

In a separate post, Lang shared what appeared to be an excerpt of the story from the digital edition of the magazine. It quoted an anonymous source who described Bullock and Randall as “drifting apart and leading separate lives for a while”.

The source also claimed that Randall was “resentful” that Bullock’s Hollywood career meant he was “often left home alone with Sandra’s kids Louis, 13, and Laila, 11, while she was off filming”.

Following the announcement of Randall’s death earlier this week, tributes have poured in for the photographer, with several figures hailing Bullock for being a supportive and caring partner throughout his illness.

Her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, shared a touching Instagram tribute and praised her sister for being the “best of caretakers” alongside the “band of nurses she assembled who helped look after him in their home”.

(Getty)

Bullock’s long-time co-star and friend Octavia Spencer also wrote in an Instagram post that Bullock had lost her “soulmate”, adding that her “heart is broken for Sandy and Bryan”.

The Lost City star and Randall first met in 2015 and were thought to have been together until his death last weekend. In 2021, she described Randall as “the love of my life” during an interview on Red Table Talk and said their family was the “best thing ever”.

Apart from Louis and Laila, both of whom Bullock adopted, the couple also shared Randall’s daughter from a previous relationship.

The Independent has contacted Bullock’s representative for comment.