He focused his attention on caring for . But 10 years later, both newly single, Natalie and Wagner announced they were getting married to each other a second time. In October 1978, Nancy died from a stab wound in Room 100 of New York's Chelsea Hotel, and Sid was arrested as a top suspect. When it comes to weighing the impact of Wood's death, and Wagner is deemed a suspect in a murder . A coroner found that Natalie had fresh bruises on her body that didnt look like they were from the boat but from a person. The soulful singer, who openly struggled with. Lana never felt shy around Natalies Hollywood friends like Dennis Hopper and Tab Hunter, who would often come over and swim, or her boyfriends like hotel heir Nicky Hilton. When they married for a second time, Robert and Natalie had a daughter together: Courtney Wagner, who they raised together with Natasha. The real story of her death is that she drowned and nobody knows how she drowned or what happened except her, said Walken. We were all stunned, everybody. Watch Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind on HBO today. Over the course of the investigation, the L.A. County Coroner changed Woods cause of death from accidental drowning to drowning and other undetermined factors, due to the bruises on her right forearm, left wrist, and right knee, a scratch on her neck and a scrape on her forehead. Wagner discovered her missing around 1 a.m. and called the shore boat, then later the Coast Guard. She slipped and fell in the water. The 26-year-old actor, who had starred in PrinceValiant and A Kiss BeforeDying,began dating Natalie when the actress was 18, and he never even uttered a hello to 10-year-old Lana. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. I remember him walking down the hall past my room and that he had very blue eyes, she said. Being on the water was a passion they both shared, though Wood often spoke of her fear of deep water., Wildly in love, the newlyweds began their life together under the constant glare of publicity, something Wood had been dealing with since her years as a child star. The Controversial Relationship Of Richard Wagner And Natalie Wood Davern says when Wood's body was found, it was left to him to identify her. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Ruled an accidental drowning, experts theorized Wood fell into the water while trying to secure the dinghy. Still, Gregson Wagner, who produced the documentary, and director Laurent Bouzereau knew that the film would need to address Woods death head-on to help audiences process it, hopefully once and for all. Police re-opened the case into Woods' death in February 2018, and Wagner has been named as a suspect, but has so far declined to speak with authorities. Why Natalie Wood's Daughter Is Confronting Robert Wagner About Wood's The hard-living 27-year-old's passing was ruled death by misadventure, yet theories abounded that he'd been the victim of a crime. In the film, Wagner recalls authorities later telling him that Woods body had been found. Wood had settled into semi-retirement by the time she remarried Wagner. It was myself I didnt know about.. Soon, he claims to have been stuck in Wagners home, getting around only by a limousine that would wait out the front of wherever he wanted to go. I know who I am.. THE captain of the yacht where star Natalie Wood died says he believes her husband, Robert Wagner, is responsible, and claims he stopped search efforts. In the early 1990s, Dennis Davern began calling her, talking about Natalie and Wagners troubled relationship. Wagner, Wood and her then-costar Walken took a trip on the couples boat, Splendour, to Catalina Island during Thanksgiving weekend 1981. Wood died on 29 November 1981 after disappearing from a yacht she was on with her husband, Robert Wagner, . The attraction was real and they were married a year later after Wagner proposed by placing a pearl-and-diamond ring in Woods champagne glass. But her sister Lana Wood believes there is one person to blame for the West Side Story actress death: Natalies husband, Robert Wagner. Sometimes I see the way she moves or the way she walks or laughs and she just reminds me of Natalie, he said. But as he went downstairs to check on his wife, he says, "she wasn't there." Wagner discovered her missing around 1 a.m. and called the shore boat, then later the Coast Guard. Privacy Notice Over the next few months, she tried to get more answers from Wagner but he swiftly cut Lana out of his life, telling her to only contact him through his lawyer. Let's just stay, let's have another bottle of wine.. Inside Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner's Tumultuous Romance - E! Online Robert speaks out in the HBO documentary about the last moments he spent with his wife while they were on a boat off the coast of Catalina Island with her co-star Christopher Walken. Wood died on 29 November 1981 after disappearing from a yacht she was on with her husband, Robert Wagner, and friend Christopher Walken. Work doesnt play the same role in my life it used to, she said of her decision to focus on her marriage and children. Directed by French filmmaker Mawenn, the film marks Depps first major film role since settling his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard. All I can do is attempt to have people understand the truth, and to show Natalie as she really was.. That year, the coroner changed the cause of death to drowning and other undetermined factorsafter re-evaluating the case details, including that Natalies body appeared to have fresh bruises when it was initially found. ; Photo: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images, Jennifer Garner Loves This Drugstore Skin Tint, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. I felt like nobody was watching over Natalie. February 1, 2018 / 7:38 AM / CBS News. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves, she recalled. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Actress Brittany Murphy's death hit like a bombshell in December 2009, when. Later, the coroner changed Woods cause of death to drowning and other undetermined factors. New witnesses led police to reclassify Woods death as suspicious. In 2018, Wagner was named a person of interest by the L.A. County Sheriffs Department. I turned to my mother and said, Im going to marry him.. All Rights Reserved. Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, but her death, Whitney Houston was on the verge of a comeback when she was found unresponsive in her Beverly Hilton hotel room in February 2012. Discovery Company. When Wood died in 1981, the San Francisco . Already the "Queen of Tejano" to fans of the genre, singer Selena was on the cusp of crossing over into pop stardom when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar in March 1995. Robert Wagner breaks silence about mysterious death of wife Natalie Wood It isnt for my sake, its for Natalies, Lana said of the book. She had a scrape on her cheek, and no injuries consistent with foul play, officials said. They had a daughter, Courtney. Its been almost 35 years since actress Natalie Wood drowned while boating with husband Robert Wagner and friend Christopher Walken off Catalina Island in Southern California. ET on HBO2, on May 10 at 11:30 a.m. 00:43. Updated 2023 Cable News Network. All you can do is truly love and care for them.. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? She and her young daughter moved in with Maria, who was living in one of Natalies old condos. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Natalie Wood's Yacht Captain Claims Robert Wagner Held Him "Hostage" I was in bed then. Weve hung onto each other through the years and she means the world to me.. You can imagine., An emotional Wagner then recalls howbefore returning to the familys Beverly Hills homehe met with his therapist to discuss how he should tell Natasha and Courtney about their mothers death. A documentary about the death of Hollywood star Natalie Wood has aired in the US, reigniting conversation about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. Then Wagner went downstairs, discovered that Wood was missing, and notified the coast guard. In it, Lana also alleges that actor Kirk Douglas sexually assaulted a teenage Natalie confirming one of Hollywoods oldest rumors. In 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened the case, interviewing other key witnesses, whom the original detectives never bothered pursuing. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights ", He continues to say he was "a little tee-off" about how he felt Christopher was "telling me what she should do and how she should behave." At that point, Wood went below deck to go to bed, and allegedly, no one saw her alive again. Natalie Wood's sister says Robert Wagner killed the actress - New York Post Heath Ledger was poised to ascend to a new level of stardom when he died at 28 in January 2008. We were both in shock, Wood said to People. "And the dinghy was gone.". In a new documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behindpremiering May 5 on HBOGregson Wagner sits down with her stepfather, who largely raised her, to interview him about that tragic night. Radio stations would announce we had just passed through, and people would wait for us in every little town., The media scrutiny continued as Woods star rose to even greater heights in the following years due to starring roles in Marjorie Morningstar (1958), Splendor in the Grass (1960), as the doomed Maria in West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962). Everybody flirts on sets.. What has Christopher Walken said about Natalie Wood's death? I dont know what happened, Walken said of the incident to People in 1986. Natalie was pronounced dead at 7:44 a.m. on November 29, 1981. The Shocking Connection Between Kirk Douglas and Natalie Wood, Natalie Wood Remarried the Same Man Twice Get to Know Her Marital History, Here's What Natalie Wood's Daughters Are up to 39 Years After Her Death. Today, he believes Natalie was killed and thrown overboard. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Hope Davis Has Done Everything, and Shes Finally Everywhere. Then Wagner kicked her out, explaining he was the rightful owner. He left behind an ever-increasing fan base, a catalog of music and one of culture's most persistent mysteries. 2. Wagner said his relationship with his stepdaughter has always been a close one. I was 10 and he was 18 when I first saw him walking down the hall at 20 Century Fox, Wood recalled to People in 1976. The film shows Wagner remembering his final dinner with Wood and Walken, during which Wagner says he enjoyed a few glasses of vino. Wagner and Wood had been having conversations about Woods career at that pointdebating whether she should continue acting, or step away from the screen to spend more time at home with her children. Natalie Wood's Daughter Natasha: Robert Wagner Didn't Kill My Mom Why Did Natalie Wood And Robert Wagner Divorce? Natalie Wood Died in 1981 One Daughter 'Defamed Her Name' While the Other Built a Beautiful . She was probably half asleep., He added: The people who are convinced that there was something more to it than what came out in the investigation will never be satisfied with the truth. She had told me she couldnt swim; in fact, they had to cut a swimming scene from Brainstorm [the film they were shooting at the time of Woods death]. If additional leads surface in the future, which have not already been investigated, the case will be reassigned to a detective to investigate the new leads.. However, both Natasha and her sister Courtney think Lana is simply wrong. She started selling dolls and got a job as a salesperson for Sprint. 2023 Cond Nast. After the tragic death of his wife, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner remarried twice. Hopeful conspiracy theorists swore that the King was still alive and well in the years following his collapse in his bathroom at Graceland.
