How Did Amanda Blake Get AIDS? The Real Story Was Buried for Years
When Gunsmoke star Amanda Blake died in August 1989 at age 60, the public was told she had succumbed to cancer.
It wasn't until later that the real cause of death came to light: complications from AIDS. For years, the circumstances of her diagnosis were vague, poorly reported, and in many cases, outright misrepresented.
Amanda Blake was best known as Miss Kitty Russell, the saloon owner on Gunsmoke, one of the longest-running primetime dramas in U.S. television history. Her red hair and sharp wit made her a cultural icon through the '50s, '60s, and '70s. But her personal life—particularly her final marriage—would end in tragedy and confusion.
In 1984, Blake married Texas developer and city councilman Mark Edward Spaeth. It was her fifth marriage, his third (or possibly fourth), and it lasted less than a year. The two had a high-profile wedding in Austin at the Quorum Club, but the gossip started immediately. Spaeth was widely believed to be gay. Some said Blake had no idea. Others believed she agreed to the marriage to help Spaeth's political ambitions.
Spaeth died in 1985 of AIDS-related complications. Four years later, Amanda Blake died of liver failure caused by CMV hepatitis—a condition linked to late-stage AIDS.
At the time, her doctor clarified publicly that her death was from AIDS, not cancer, as initially reported.
Although the exact method of transmission was never definitively proven, Blake's close friends and medical team believed she contracted the virus from Spaeth. She was never known to use drugs or engage in high-risk behavior.
There were, of course, rumors—some claimed she may have been infected through a blood transfusion or even during her charity work and travel in Africa. But these theories remain speculative and far less supported than the connection to her final marriage.
The revelation shocked many. In 1989, AIDS was still widely misunderstood, heavily stigmatized, and often framed through homophobic or judgmental narratives. That Blake—America's sweetheart from Gunsmoke—could be quietly living with the disease turned public perception on its head. Her case remains one of the earliest high-profile examples of heterosexual HIV transmission discussed in the media, albeit reluctantly.
Here's the timeline of events as reported:
- 1984: Amanda Blake marries Mark Spaeth
- 1985: Spaeth dies of AIDS-related complications
- 1989: Blake dies from AIDS-related CMV hepatitis
- Initial cause of death reported: Cancer
- Later confirmed by her doctor: AIDS
Fans still reflect on her story with frustration and empathy. As one r/Gunsmoke commenter put it:
"Miss Kitty got a raw deal with the AIDS thing. It wasn't even by her doing. The guy… never told her, and she got the short end of the stick."