Gloria Steinem, the famous feminist and journalist, has died at the age of 92. Steinem died on September 1, leaving behind a major legacy as one of the most influential voices in the women’s rights movement. Beyond her feminist work, Steinem was also the stepmother of Hollywood actor Christian Bale. She became Bale’s stepmother after marrying his father, David Bale, in 2000.
Steinem’s marriage to David Bale surprised many people because of her long-standing views on marriage. She had spent years criticising traditional marriage, arguing that the institution had historically limited women’s freedom and civil rights.
Christian Bale’s reaction
Christian Bale himself was surprised when his father married Steinem.Bale was in Germany when the marriage happened and said he only learned about it afterwards. He spoke about the unexpected wedding during an interview with The Guardian in 2018.
Deep Dive
What was the reaction of Christian Bale to Gloria Steinem's marriage to his father?
How did Gloria Steinem's views on marriage evolve over time?
What was the nature of Gloria Steinem's relationship with David Bale's children?
Bale also said his father probably did not expect to get married at that stage of his life. “I don’t think my father thought that anything like this would happen to him at this point in his life,” Bale told Interview in 2012.
Steinem’s marriage
Steinem and David Bale also changed the traditional language used during their wedding ceremony. Instead of using the words “husband” and “wife,” the ceremony referred to them as “partners,” according to ABC News. Steinem later explained that her views had not changed — marriage itself had changed.
Also read: Gloria Steinem dies at 92: Cause of death, Playboy exposé and journey to feminist icon
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Gloria Steinem dies at 92: Cause of death, Playboy exposé and journey to feminist icon
{{/usCountry}}In a 2019 interview with National Geographic, she said, “I didn’t change. Marriage changed.” She explained that decades of changes to US marriage laws had made it possible for women to enter marriages without giving up rights they once had to surrender.
David Bale and family
Steinem’s marriage to David Bale lasted only three years. David Bale died in 2003 at the age of 62 after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Steinem became stepmother not only to Christian Bale but also to David Bale’s other children. David Bale had four children from his earlier marriages, making Steinem a stepmother to the family after her 2000 marriage to him.
David Bale and his first wife, Sandra Kreunen, had a daughter Erin Kreunen. Erin Kreunen later became a computer software expert. David Bale and Jenny James were the parents of Christian Bale, Louise Bale and Sharon Bale. Louise Bale became a drama therapist, while Sharon Bale became a musician.
Steinem’s connection to Christian Bale was therefore part of a larger blended family. Although Steinem was best known publicly for her journalism and decades of feminist activism, her marriage to David Bale also connected her to Bale and his siblings as their stepmother.
Steinem’s death now brings attention back to both sides of her legacy. She is remembered primarily for her role in the women’s rights movement, but her marriage to David Bale and her role as Christian Bale’s stepmother remain a lesser-known part of her life.