At 80 years old, Burt Ward Reveals Shocking Secrets About His ‘Size.’
At 80 years old, Bert Ward reveals shocking secrets about his size. Can you believe it? The hero Robin from the legendary Batman series in 1966 is now sharing behindthe-scenes stories that few people know. These secrets not only shock Hollywood, but also reflect a conservative era where even superhero costumes could cause a scandal.
Today in this video, we will explore Bert Ward’s life journey from a prodigy ice skater child to a cultural icon and the shocking revelations he has recently disclosed. First, let’s go back in time to Bert Ward’s early years. Born on July 6th, 1945 in Los Angeles, California, Bert, whose real name is Bert John Gervis Jr.
, grew up in a colorful and adventurous family. His father, Bert Senior, was the owner of a traveling ice skating show called Rap City on Ice, a performance program that toured all over the United States, bringing joy to thousands of audiences. Imagine in the 40s and 50s when World War II had just ended and life was still full of hardships.
But Bert’s family roamed on glittering ice rinks with neon lights and lively background music. Bert Jr., at only 2 years old became a professional ice skater. He was illustrated in Strange As it Seems magazine as a strange phenomenon, a 2-year-old boy gliding on ice like a true artist with graceful movements that even adults had to admire.
That magazine specialized in strange stories from around the world, and Bert was honored as a true prodigy. I recall those old days when we were young. Stories about talented children always sparked curiosity and admiration. Bert not only skated but also performed in front of crowds, learning to balance on thin blades and facing pressure from an early age.
That was his first life lesson in discipline and perseverance. Qualities that later helped him overcome many challenges in his Hollywood career. I can picture that scene. A tiny child with ice skates sparkling under the stage lights. thunderous applause from the audience and the proud smiles of his parents.
That was the beginning of a life full of adventure, where the stage became his second home. Bert also had the nickname Sparky because he could touch his two skateblades together to create sparks in the dark, a performance trick that amazed everyone. What a dynamic and creative boy. And like many kids of that time, Bert was obsessed with comic books.
He collected and traded them with friends. Those thin paper books with vivid drawings of superheroes flying in the sky. But his favorites were Superman and Super Boy. Characters representing strength and justice. The TV show Adventures of Superman with George Reeves was his greatest joy. Those black and white episodes that we eagerly awaited each week.
Stories about superheroes ignited dreams in that boy’s heart, teaching him about courage and morality. And who would have thought later he would become part of that world, dawning the Robin costume and fighting crime on the small screen. For our generation, comic books and superhero movies were not just entertainment, but also inspiration, helping us dream of a better world.
And Bert Ward is proof that dreams can come true if we persistently pursue them. As he entered his teenage years, Bert continued to pursue his passion for sports seriously. He joined the track and field team, football, and wrestling at high school, where the matches not only built physical strength, but also fostered team spirit and healthy competition.
Think about those golden sunny afternoons in California. Bert running on the track, sweat dripping, but a smile always on his lips. He was a multi-talented athlete. But then, after a few karate classes, he truly fell in love with martial arts. Karate was still new in America at that time, and Bert was quickly drawn to the combination of strength, agility, and spiritual philosophy.
He switched to taekwondo and quickly achieved a brown belt, a significant accomplishment for a young man. Those training sessions lasted hours with kicking, punching, and defensive moves, forging not only his body, but also his will. That was the foundation that later helped him shine in the role of Robin, the energetic young man, ready to fight alongside Batman with spectacular action scenes.
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After high school, Bert attended college and passed the real estate broker exam. Working for his father’s company, a stable job, but not his true passion. He moved out to live on his own in an apartment building full of young artists pursuing their Hollywood dreams with conversations about scripts, auditions, and hopes for success. That was the environment that nurtured his acting dream.
Even though at that time Bert hadn’t thought about becoming a star. And here’s the most interesting part of this period. In that apartment building, Bert met a special friend, Bruce Lee. Yes, the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, who later became a global icon. They met when Bert returned from taekwondo class with his sweaty uniform, and Bruce stopped him to ask about the martial art.
From there, they quickly became friends, sharing their passion for martial arts. Bert was invited to dinner with the Lee family, meeting six-month-old baby Brandon, who later became the star Brandon Lee, leaving his mark in the action film world before passing away too soon. Those dinners were full of warmth with traditional Chinese dishes and conversations about martial arts techniques and life philosophies.
They explored Chinatown in Los Angeles together, trying unfamiliar foods like dim sum or spicy stir- fried meat. And Bert learned a lot about East Asian culture from his new friend. Bert remembers that Bruce was on a completely different level with extraordinary speed and strength. But their friendship was sincere without regard for fame or status.
That was in 1965 when both were still unknown, living in a modest apartment building and dreaming of the future. Who would have thought? Just a few years later, they would both appear on television with Bruce as Kato in Green Hornet and Bert as Robin. That friendship is a beautiful lesson in humility and mutual support, something our generation always cherishes in this everchanging life.
Also that year, Bert married Bonnie Lindseay, the daughter of famous composer Mort Lindseay, who had composed for legends like Judy Garland and Barbara Streryand. That marriage was full of romance, with Bonnie as Bert’s inspiration in his early career days. They had their daughter Lisa the following year, a great joy amid the busyiness of life.
But Bert’s life was about to change forever when he heard about the upcoming Batman series casting. As a comic book fanatic, he decided to try out, even though he had no acting experience. He loved Batman from the pages of books, just regretting it wasn’t Super Boy, the character he dreamed of most. Without an agent, Bert went to the agency himself, filled out the form with confidence from his martial arts and sports background.
He showed up at the audition showcasing his taekwond do skills, brown belt, and even brought a friend to demonstrate throws and board breaking in front of the judges. Those moves not only showed strength but also courage, leaving a deep impression on everyone. The producers were impressed, especially William Doseier, who saw in Bert the enthusiasm and brashness needed for the role of Robin.
Bert competed with Peter Dale for the role of Robin, while Adam West and Lyall Wagner vied for Batman. After many rounds of testing with script readings and stunt performances, Bert was selected. He didn’t know right away, having to wait 2 and 1/2 weeks in suspense. When the agency called, he signed the contract without caring about the salary, later regretting it because the pay was low compared to the show’s success.
He changed his name to Bert Ward because it sounded better and was easier to remember, avoiding misprononunciation of Jervis. The Batman series premiered in 1966 becoming a cultural phenomenon with promotions everywhere from newspapers to TV. The production costs were high with the Batcave, Batmobile, the legendary car designed from the Lincoln Futura, and famous guest stars like Cesar Romero as Joker or Burgess Meredith as Penguin.
But behind the scenes wasn’t always as glamorous as on screen. Bert suffered continuous injuries, falling out of the Batmobile when the door opened unexpectedly, ears ringing from simulated explosion sounds, nose broken by a board falling from the ceiling. The hospital inquired because he came to the emergency room four times in 2 weeks, forcing the studio to improve safety to avoid lawsuits.
Those injuries were not only physically painful, but also mentally challenging. But Bert always maintained a positive attitude, considering it part of the job. And then we come to the shocking secret that Bert revealed at 80. The scandal about his size, a story he kept secret for decades before sharing in his autobiography and interviews.
Dear friend, imagine the era of 1966 when American society was still very conservative about morals and sexuality. The Batman series was for children and families, airing on ABC. But Robin’s costume, tight green shorts and thin tights, was too revealing, especially with Bert Ward’s natural physique. He created a bulge, a prominent protrusion in the genital area.
Something that today might be considered normal, but back then was seen as a major scandal. religious groups, especially the Catholic League of Decency, now the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization monitoring media content to protect Catholic morals, complained fiercely. They called it obscene, indecent, unsuitable for family television, threatening boycots, and pressuring the studio.
That period, America was still heavily influenced by conservative standards postwar with anti-pornography movements, and any suggestive element could bring down a successful show. To resolve it, they sent Bert to the studio doctor, a decision that sounds bizarre, but reflects the pressures of the time.
The doctor prescribed medication, probably to reduce testosterone or something similar, to shrink the size, reduce the bulge, and avoid losing the audience. Bert had to take it daily, a requirement that shocked him. He tried it for 3 days but stopped, worried about affecting his ability to have children later. He once said in an interview, “I decided that they could probably stop me from having kids.
” A statement full of emotion, showing the sacrifices artists had to endure. Instead, Bert used his cape to cover up in scenes, a simple but effective trick, and tried other measures like dancers belts, jock straps, thick underwear to conceal. Those efforts show his creativity and patience under pressure. The interesting and humorous thing is Bert compared it to Adam West, the Batman role, his close friend.
Bert’s bulge was natural, while Adam had to stuff Turkish bath towels into his underwear to increase size, creating a more balanced and powerful image for the character. But the issue focused only on Bert because Robin’s costume was more revealing with bright colors and a youthful design. This scandal was detailed by Bert in his autobiography Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights in 1995, a book that shocked with many racy revelations and repeated in a 2020 interview when receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Newspapers like
Page Six, Men’s Health, Huff Post, covered it widely, turning it into a topic of discussion about societal changes. From my perspective, this scandal is not only humorous, but also profoundly thought-provoking. It reflects the pressure from a conservative society where men’s bodies were controlled as strictly as women’s, and Hollywood had to comply to survive.
Compared to today’s era, 2025, when topics about body and sexuality are discussed more openly with the body positivity movement, that scandal seems outdated. But it teaches us about gender injustices, male leads were enhanced to look heroic. While natural features were criticized, Bert resiliently overcame it, turning adversity into an inspiring story, proving that true strength lies in sincerity and perseverance, a valuable lesson for our generation when looking back on our own lives.
After the scandal, Bert threw himself into work to forget the pain of divorcing Bonnie, a difficult but necessary decision. He joined promotions for the series with Adam West. Trips across America from local TV stations to schools and major festivals. Imagine those days. Bert and Adam in Batman and Robin costumes, parading in parades, signing autographs for children, and bringing joy to everyone.
Batman succeeded by appealing to all ages. Children loved the superheroes with humorous pow and bam. Adults liked the old comic stories from the 30s. Students were into the campy elements and pop culture references, and housewives were drawn to the subtle sensuality in dialogue and costumes. Bert recounted the wild life on the road, groupies surrounding them in every city, older women.
He was only 20 at the time, slipping notes and showing up at hotels. Those adventures were humorous and dangerous, like the time he almost got beaten by a jealous husband due to a mixup from the previous week, fleeing in his underwear across the parking lot with Adam laughing and teaching him to check for wedding rings. His friendship with Adam West lasted a lifetime, a beautiful bond.
They appeared together thousands of times at conventions, talk shows, and events right up until Adam’s death in 2017. Adam was always the big brother, supporting Bert through difficulties, and they shared Batman memories like a family with Bruce Lee. They reunited in the Batman Green Hornet crossover, a special episode.
There was an initial misunderstanding because PR called Bert a black belt in karate, not accurate, only brown belt in taekwondo. But then they hugged and laughed with Bruce refusing to lose to Robin in the script, demanding at least a tie to maintain his image. That’s proof of friendship transcending fame, something we in our twilight years always cherish.
In 1967, Bert married Kathy Kersh, a supporting actress in Batman, whom he met on set and quickly fell in love with. They released their own records with Bert singing Boy Wonder I Love You, written by Frank Zappa, and Kathy with a single produced by Bert. But the marriage ended in 1969, coinciding with the series ending after three seasons, leaving Bert in hardship.
The 70s and 80s were a period of typ casting with Bert only starring in low-budget films like the horror scream, Evelyn Scream, or Sci-Fi Robo Chick, where he saved the world from rebellious robots. He married a third time to Mariana Tortia in 1985, a short-lived relationship ending in 1989, teaching him about the fragility of love.
But Bert’s life brightened from 1990 when he married Tracy Pausner, the woman who brought him true happiness. They are still together today, having daughter Melody in 1994, a great source of joy. Together, they founded Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, an organization rescuing large dogs like St.
Bernard’s and Great Danes. Starting from their love for animals, they have saved over 14,000 dogs, researched nutrition, and spent $3 million developing Gentle Giants food, increasing lifespan from 7 to 10 years to over 20. The product is sold at Walmart and Chewy Comm, receiving high reviews from customers, proving it’s never too late to do good.
Bert Ward is now a living icon, inspiring our generation at 65 and older. From the size scandal to philanthropist, he proves that life is a journey of overcoming challenges with lessons in resilience and kindness. That scandal reminds us of societal changes from the conservative 60s to today’s openness where we can discuss more freely.
Bert teaches us to live authentically, love animals, maintain friendships, and pursue passions even late in life. If you’ve ever watched Batman, remember Robin isn’t just the boy beside Batman, but a man with an incredible story full of emotions and lessons. Thank you for listening to this long video where we have explored Bert Ward’s journey in detail.
If you like it, please like, subscribe, and comment your Batman memories, perhaps about the first time watching the series or the scandal that surprised you. We’ll meet again in the next video with other stories from the golden past. Have a good day and remember, life always has room for wonderful surprises.
