Bob Ross, the popular artist and television host known for his show "The Joy of Painting," kept much of his personal life, including his battle with lymphoma, private from his fans. Ross's desire for privacy and his reluctance to give interviews led to a lack of public knowledge about his personal life.
After his death in 1995, it was revealed that Ross had been struggling with lymphoma for several years. His company went into reruns, which turned out to be the final year of his life. His second wife, Jane, died in 1993, but there was no mention of his third wife, Linda, in his obituary. This was likely due to a complex legal situation involving his longtime business partners, Annette and Walter Kowalski.
Ross's son, Steve, filed a lawsuit in 2018 to expose the truth about Ross's last days. The Kowalskis allegedly pressured Ross into signing over all his rights to them while he was dying of cancer. Ross eventually changed his will to thwart their plans and ensure Steve got his fair share.
Despite the Kowalskis' control over Ross's name and likeness, his legacy is carried on by Steve Ross, who is allowed to run his own seminars teaching regular people how to paint. Despite the Kowalskis' control over the merchandise and money, there's no question who is actually carrying on Ross's legacy.
1. Bob Ross, the famous painter and television host, did not disclose his personal life, including his lymphoma diagnosis, to his fans. This information was only revealed after his death.
2. Despite his popularity, Ross was not big on interviews and preferred to keep his personal life private. He enjoyed sharing his joy of painting with his viewers.
3. After his death in 1995, it was revealed that Ross had been struggling with lymphoma for several years. His show, "The Joy of Painting," went into reruns during the final year of his life.
4. Ross's desire for privacy and the lack of interest from journalists have led to disinformation about his personal life on the internet. Some biographies claim that Ross was married twice, but his third marriage, to Linda, was not mentioned in his obituary.
5. Ross's longtime business partners, Annette and Walter Kowalski, pressured him to sign over all his rights to them while he was dying of cancer. Ross eventually changed his will to protect his son, Steve Ross.
6. Ross's last marriage to Linda was rumored to be a legal strategy to protect his legacy from exploitation by the Kowalskis. However, this did not prevent Annette Kowalski from leveraging Bob's name to expand his popularity and their profit margins.
7. The official Bob Ross "The Joy of Painting" YouTube channel has under 5 million subscribers and his videos regularly rack up seven and eight-digit view tallies. His image has been featured on various products like clothing, costumes, chia pets, puzzles, soaps, coloring books, and other items, further increasing his popularity.
8. Ross's original paintings are also prized items that sometimes sell for thousands of dollars. The Kowalskis own a warehouse of them, but Ross's family does not receive any of the profits.
9. Celebrity net worth estimates placed Ross's worth at around 10 million dollars at the time of his death. However, his actual income from the show and related products was estimated to be anywhere from 15 to 20 million.
10. Steve Ross, Bob's son, lost his lawsuit against the Kowalskis and was forced to settle. The settlement gave the Kowalskis full control over the Bob Ross name and likeness.