Who Was Robert Carradine's Ex-Wife? The Woman Who Claimed The 'Revenge Of The Nerds' Star Tried To Kill Them Both In A Terrifying 2015 Car Crash

The explosive allegation that a Hollywood actor tried to kill his own wife and children in a deliberate crash has cast a long shadow over the legacy of Revenge of the Nerds star Robert Carradine.

Robert Carradine's former spouse, Edith 'Edie' Mani Carradine, made a startling claim in divorce court that her husband intentionally drove their vehicle into the path of a semi-truck during a family road trip in Colorado in March 2015, asserting that the act was a bid to kill them both.

The accusation emerged in deeply personal legal filings that exposed the fissures in a marriage that had lasted a quarter of a century, raising questions about mental health, celebrity pressures and the murky dynamics at the heart of one of Hollywood's enduring acting families.

Contentious Marriage And Life Before The Crash

Edith 'Edie' Mani met Robert Carradine in the late 1980s, and the couple married in 1990. They built a family together, welcoming two children and maintaining a life in the entertainment world where Carradine carved a steady acting career spanning decades, including his breakthrough as Lewis Skolnick in the Revenge of the Nerds franchise.

Despite a public image of longevity and stability, insiders say the marriage concealed rising tensions. Court filings released in May 2017 in the Los Angeles Superior Court opened a window into that troubled relationship, describing episodes of emotional volatility on both sides and the collapse of trust after more than two decades together.

According to the divorce documents obtained by legal entertainment outlets, Mrs Carradine alleged that Robert, who was then 63, confessed to her and their two adult children that he had 'deliberately' driven their vehicle head-on into an oncoming semi-truck on a Colorado highway.

She told the court she had confronted him about the March 2015 crash months after the incident and claimed that he had admitted the act was intentional, attempting to kill them both.

The couple suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, and authorities later cited Carradine for careless driving. According to Colorado State Patrol reports, neither alcohol nor excessive speed were contributing factors in the collision.

Edith's filings described her estranged husband as an 'experienced professional race car driver,' underlining her contention that he was fully capable of controlling the vehicle and therefore must have intended to veer into danger.

Divergent Narratives And Mental Health Dispute

Robert Carradine offered a starkly different version of events in his own legal filings, asserting that he had been in a state of 'acute psychosis' during the incident, due to significant bipolar disorder symptoms at the time.

In his response to the allegations, Carradine claimed that his medication had been stopped, an action he placed on Edith, and that her urging him to drive that day contributed to his unstable condition.

His legal narrative highlighted a complex backdrop of grief and mental health challenges. Carradine was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder after the 2009 suicide of his half-brother, actor David Carradine, a loss that family and friends say profoundly impacted him.

The differences in each party's testimony underscored the fraught nature of the divorce proceedings, which were further complicated by fights over finances, legal fees and personal property. Edith claimed she was unemployed and faced more than $14,000 in attorney fees, while Carradine challenged her assertions and offered conflicting reasons for the marriage's breakdown.

Amid these competing claims, Edith sought possession of Carradine's collection of 17 firearms amid fears he could pose a risk to himself or others, citing the tensions around his mental health.

Aftermath, Legacy And Lingering Questions

The couple's divorce was finalised after nearly three decades, with the complex and harrowing crash serving as a flashpoint in their legal battle. While the court filings remain a matter of public record, neither side provided a definitive legal judgment that established intent or culpability beyond the competing claims in their statements.

Carradine continued to work sporadically in film and television after the divorce but lived much of his later life outside the glare of tabloid publicity.

His death in February 2026 at the age of 71 brought renewed attention to the events and struggles that marked his personal life. Family statements revealed that Carradine died by suicide after a longstanding battle with bipolar disorder, a condition his relatives said he had fought for nearly two decades.

The tragedy has since sparked broader conversations about mental health among performers and the pressures that long-term illness can exert on relationships and personal safety. Tributes from former co-stars and family members emphasised his warmth, generosity and advocacy for awareness around bipolar disorder.

What remains clear is that the 2015 crash and the allegations surrounding it remain one of the most dramatic and complex episodes in the life of a beloved Hollywood figure. The scars of that day, the divergent courtroom narratives and the questions that continue to linger paint a picture of a tragic intersection of fame, family and fragile mental health.

In the end, the story of Robert Carradine and his ex-wife reflects not only the personal toll of celebrity union breakdowns but also the broader need for sensitivity to the realities of psychological suffering.