In 1981, big screen legend Natalie Wood went missing from the yacht she shared with her husband, Robert Wagneronly to be found approximately six hours later, floating facedown . The couple spent much of their honeymoon on a yacht, navigating the Florida Keys. Dennis Davern was one of only four people on Ana de Armas Shares Story About Robert De Niro and Her Dad During. All Rights Reserved. Fox says Parkinson's battle getting 'harder': 'I'm not gonna be 80', Padma Lakshmi claps back at trolls: 'I have boobs, I have nipples', Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus mom, Tish Cyrus, engaged to Prison Break star Dominic Purcell, Fans confused over Lala Kent, Ariana Madixs White House dinner appearance, Woman has 'loud and full body orgasm' during LA Philharmonic concert. At first, Lana didnt believe it. Wagner remarried in 1963 to actress Marion Marshall, with whom he had a daughter, Katie, born in 1964. The actor is absent from the documentary and has rarely spoken about Woods death but there have been brief mentions made in the past. Davern said Wagner spent these weeks drinking and crying in his bedroom. In the early 1990s, Dennis Davern began calling her, talking about Natalie and Wagners troubled relationship. "Natalie was such a special, marvelous woman and we found each other twice in our lives," Robert recalled in an interview with FOX News. The Miracle on 34th Street stars sister told The Post in 2021 that she always has believed Wagner was responsible for Woods death. 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. Of course he did!. I was in bed then. 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. Wood had settled into semi-retirement by the time she remarried Wagner. Its not a continuous thing, just a moment, a turn, her hair, some kind of look. Eventually, Wagner went to check on his wife, and Davern claims the two had a scuffle. All Rights Reserved. Still, Lana said she didnt write the book to bring down her brother-in-law. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Wagner, who married actress Jill St. John in 1990, said his stepdaughter very much reminds him of his beloved late wife. She tried not to read too much into his strange behavior. When Lana expressed confusion about their reunion,given that Wagner had cheated on her sister with a man,their mother glibly parroted, Hes cured of homosexual tendencies. Hope Davis Has Done Everything, and Shes Finally Everywhere. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. As Robert tells the story of Natalie's last evening, he maintains that he last saw her when the actress excused herself for bed. DetectiveRalph Hernandez, who retired from the force in March, declared Wagner a person of interest in 2018 after interviewing witnesses who claimed Wood had been arguing with Wagner, now 92, at the edge of their boat before she disappeared. "I remember I had a few glasses of vino and I was feeling pretty good," he recalls in the documentary to Natasha. 00:00. In the documentary, Wagner says he and Walken got into an argument, but both thought Natalie was safe on the boat. One day, Natalies quiet Rebel Without a Cause co-star James Dean came by, and Lana ambushed him. Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind airs Tuesday, May 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Latino. They were totally out of character.. The couple separated in 1961 and divorced the following year with Wood remaining silent on rumors the marriage had ended suddenly because she had had an affair with her Splendor in the Grass costar Warren Beatty. His wifes death hit the family hard, he said. Friends told me to put on the breaks, Wood recalled of her decision to reunite with her ex-husband after she accepted an invitation to his house in Palm Springs. It turned out the studio did not only bring him jobs but introduced him to the love of his life. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves, she recalled. He didnt ruin me.. And I can understand that but when I just think about my dad having to deal with any of this stuff, its just so hard to even imagine when he experienced a true nightmare, says Courtney in the documentary. 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. He had become a man instead of a boy. Wood believed that the time apart during the intervening years was essential to their reconnection. I remember it used to drive her crazy because the way the water hit up against the boat, it would bang and she was so sensitive to noise, says Gregson Wagner. For one, Wagner had told police that his wife probably tried to take the dinghy out when she drowned, but Davern said Natalie couldnt operate the dinghy. 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. Ask yourself if an innocent man who has lost his wife is usually this reticent., Then in a 2018 interview on The Dr. Phil Show, Lana said, I think the investigation was mishandled from the beginning. The film celebrates the woman behind the iconic imagery and explores the compelling, Why Natalie Woods Sister Claims Investigation Into Her Death Was Mishandled From The Beginning, The sister of actress Natalie Wood claims the investigation into the stars 1981 drowning was mishandled from the beginning. drphil.com Subscribe to Dr. Phil:bitly.com/SubscribeDrPhil LIKE us on Facebook:bitly.com/DrPhilFacebook Follow us on Twitter:bitly.com/DrPhilTwitter Dr. Phil uses the power of television to tell compelling stories about real people. When Wood died in 1981, the San Francisco . Discovery Company. The death of actress Natalie Wood has fueled speculation for four decades because it happened under mysterious circumstances that were initially called an accidental drowning but later changed to drowning and other undetermined factors. Now in the new HBO documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, talks to Robert Wagner, Natalies husband and Natashas adopted father, about the fateful night in 1981. Natasha was born to Woods and her then-husband Richard Gregson on September 29, 1970. So I didnt want him to feel uncomfortable or unsafe. They went looking for her just after 11 p.m. and apparently discovered the dinghy missing. A documentary about the death of Hollywood star Natalie Wood has aired in the US, reigniting conversation about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. Wagner also wants to make it clear he doesnt think Walken was involved. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The shooting was accidental -- it was supposed to be Hollywood gun play for the sake of the scene --, Even though Kurt Cobain died 21 years ago, many of a certain age can still recall the exact place they were in when they learned the. We pay for videos too. It was a terrible thing. In his 2009 book, Pieces of My Heart, Wagner wrote that on that outing in November 1981, he became jealous and argued with both Wood and 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. A true gentleman, says Wagner. Natasha adds, She has literally accused my dad of killing my mom when thats the farthest thing from the truth.. Robert and Natalie married twice. She slipped and fell in the water. The stepfather and daughter discuss the heartbreak, the devastating funeral, and the surreal months and years that followed, in which the family struggled to put the pieces of their lives back together. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights In 2018, 48 Hours broadcast a special about Woods death and the L.A. County Sheriffs Department told them that Wagner was now a person of interest in her death after reopening the investigation in 2011. ; 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. Natasha Gregson Wagner was 11 when her mother, the Oscar-nominated actor Natalie Wood, drowned off Catalina Island. The couple divorced, with the press blaming the breakup on Natalies affair with her Splendor in the Grass co-star Warren Beatty. And it turns out that Robert moved on from Natalie very shortly after her tragic death by drowning. We've received your submission. 25% off everything with this Red Letter Days discount code, 20 extra entries with this Omaze promo code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Get up to 10% off using the Booking.com app, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK April 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this April, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. . 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. ", The two continued to argue, and eventually Robert "calmed down." Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Afterward, Natalie went over and put her arm around Lana, asking her what was wrong. Wagner assumed his wife had gone ashore. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood attended the wrap party for his TV series Hart to Hart April 9, 1980 in Los Angeles. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Dennis Davern, 62, former captain of the Splendour, the yacht that actress Natalie Wood was on before she died, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood at home in 1976, The Splendour, where the disappearance occurred, Natalie Wood starred in the Warner Brothers Motion Picture, Splendor in the Grass, American film stars Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood were married in 1957, Natalie Woods sister Lana Wood says that she thinks Robert Wagner murdered the Hollywood icon, There were rumours of jealousy between Wagner and Christopher Walken, Christopher Walken stared in films including The Deer Hunter and Catch Me If You Can, American actor Robert Wagner aboard a powerboat, The Prince Valiant - the inflatable dinghy used by Natalie Wood, moored at the harbor in Avalon, Calif., after it washed up on the rocks on Santa Catalina Island, Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Jennifer Garner Loves This Drugstore Skin Tint, Kerry Washington Loves This Game Changer Retinol, Matthew Perry Removes Keanu Reeves from His Book, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson Might Be Sibs, Jennifer Garner's Hair-Thickening Secret Is $28, 10 Surprising Facts about the Phantom of the Opera, Arnold Schwarzenegger, King of the Viral PSA Video, Dracula: 10 Actors Who Played the Infamous Vampire, 10 Things You Might Not Know about Jeremy Renner, Adam Sandler's Favorite Sneakers Are on Sale Now. The twice-married actors met when Wood was just a child star and endured a rollercoaster romance until her mysterious death. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Everybody flirts on sets.. This story has been shared 412,623 times. Weve hung onto each other through the years and she means the world to me.. What happened that night only she knows, because she was alone, he said. Their first marriage lasted from 1957 to 1962, and the Hollywood stars would go on to remarry in 1972. Davern claims Walken also stormed out and went to his cabin, while Wagner stayed where he was, and began to drink with the captain. Following Woods' death, Natasha's biological dad, Gregson . But as he went downstairs to check on his wife, he says, "she wasn't there." ", volatile East Coast/Wast Coast rap war of the era, Her husband, Simon Monjack, died five months later, In 2009, police in Sussex, England, began to look into his death. All rights reserved. Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind portrays Wood as a spirited, loving parent who was able to overcome an overbearing mother of her own and the stress of child stardomwith the help of psychoanalysis, of which she was an early proponentto forge a fulfilling career and family life. The official cause of death was accidental drowning, with a coroner suggesting it had occurred as she tried to get on the dinghy. Police reclassified the case as suspicious and, in2018, named Wagner, now 91, a person of interest.The case remains open. Jill St. John first met Robert Wagner when the two were contract players at 20th Century Fox back in 1959, and they would go on to continue working together in Hollywood. It was a terrible thing., Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial, He added: Look, were in a conversation I wont have. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood's on-and-off love story Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood at the premiere of The Godfather in 1972 | Tom Wargacki/WireImage. He focused his attention on caring for . At the time of her tragic and untimely death in 1981, Hollywood darling Natalie Wood was married to actor Robert Wagner. She was 27. I dont believe it was premeditated, Lana, 75, told The Post. All you can do is truly love and care for them.. I never questioned him. Two months later, they attended the same dinner party. After Natalies death, according to the book, Wagner began to treat Lana with outright hostility. Because the truth is, there is nothing more to it.. The actor had been nominated for an Oscar for 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" and was set for another nod for "The Dark Knight" when he was found dead in his New York apartment. He was 33 years old. The things that they were saying that Natalie did that the nightgown-wearing actress had taken the yachts dinghy to party hop among the boats parked in the harbor they might as well have been saying that she was trying to fly to another planet. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Did Robert Wagner Remarry After Natalie Wood Died . We've received your submission. Everything just went out from under me, Wagner says, his voice faltering. Jay was shot and killed October 30, 2002 at a recoding studio in Queen, New York. Other than that, I felt absolutely nothing towards him., In 1957, When they got married the first time, I cried loudly throughout the entire ceremony, Lana said. Wagner was signed with a studio but was between jobs and trying to find his next big movie. Gregson Wagner and her stepfatherwho clearly have a close, loving relationshipdo not address some reports, like the one stating that Woods body was found with fresh bruises on her body, or Daverns allegation that Wood and Wagner were fighting the night of her death. Poor Jimmy Dean sat through it and then told [me] it was wonderful.. 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. It really didnt sit well.. He left behind an ever-increasing fan base, a catalog of music and one of culture's most persistent mysteries. Sofia Richie Reveals She Converted to Judaism Ahead of Wedding to Elliot Grainge. A Warner Bros. John Lennon was shot and killed outside of his Manhattan apartment on December 8, 1980. But they did make it back, after 10:30 p.m. I was in bed then. Natalie was, at that moment, supposed to be on a yacht with Wagner and her friend and current co-star Christopher Walken. Looking for more? He was married to actress Natalie Wood, whose 1981 death . Thanks for contacting us. 7:56 PM EDT, Wed April 13, 2016. All leads in the Natalie Wood case have been exhausted, and the case remains an open, unsolved case, Lt. Hugo Reynaga told Page Six Friday. Jam Master Jay, DMC and Rev Run of Run DMC attend Run DMC-Beastie Boys Press Conference on May 11, 1987 at B. Smith's Restaurant in New York City. In 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened its investigation into Woods death, after Splendour captain Dennis Davern claimed he had heard Wood and Wagner arguing the night of Woods death. None of the things that [Wagner, Walken or the yachts skipper] said or that the police said at that time rang true to me, Wood told The Post from her home in Los Angeles. I knew the circumstances that had surrounded her death, because he told me, and Im sure we visited it here and there, but it wasnt as pointed as it was for the documentary. Wood, Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken were the only guests. I was confused., That really affected her entire life how she looked at things and how she perceived things, Lana recalled. When People brought up Woods death in a 1986 interview, the actor responded by snapping, I dont know what happened. When it comes to weighing the impact of Wood's death, and Wagner is deemed a suspect in a murder . Although Elvis' death was ruled to be the result of an irregular heartbeat, there were accusations that prescription drug abuse was a factor. In 2011, the L.A. County Sheriffs Department reopened the case after Dennis Davern, the captain of Wagners yacht, told NBC News that he initially lied about the events of that night. Ruled an accidental drowning, experts theorized Wood fell into the water while trying to secure the dinghy. Just a year after the loss of Tupac, hip-hop weathered the death of another giant of the genre, Notorious B.I.G. After Walken retired to bed, Wagner says that he and Davern swept up the broken bottle on the floor. In 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened the caseafter Daverns 2009 book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,revealed hehad heard the married couple arguing before Natalies disappearance. It was myself I didnt know about.. Wagner, in turn, recounts the final voyage he took with Wood, during Thanksgiving weekend 1981with Dennis Davern and Christopher Walken, Woods costar in the 1983 sci-fi film Brainstorm. It was a love match anchored in the history of old Hollywood. But Robert R.J. Wagner was different. Natalie told her family she had walked in on Wagner in a compromising position with his butler and was so enraged that she squeezed the glass she was holding until it shattered and cut her, Lana writes. Theyre not going to redefine me. Authorities classified her death as an accident, concluding the 43-year-old star of . It bothers me that anyone would ever think that you would be involved in what happened to her because you would have given your life for my mom., Thats true, I would have. Then Natalie began to cry before murmuring softly, He hurt me, Lana It was like an out-of-body experience. I did lie on a report several years ago We didnt take any steps to see if we could locate her. But Natalie later told her what had happened: Maria had arranged a meeting with Kirk Douglas, who sexually assaulted Natalie. We were both in shock, Wood said to People. Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind is an intimate portrait of actor Natalie Woods life and career, told through the eyes of her daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner and others who knew her best. Davern's description of events do not match his statements to police at the time, but have passed several polygraph tests, according to the podcast. Getty Lana a sometime actress who was Bond girl Plenty OToolein Diamonds Are Forever had been employed behind the scenes in film production, but after her sisters death, she couldnt find any work. Nirvana frontman had been found dead at 27. The Dr. Phil show provides the most comprehensive forum, 48 Hours "Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water" reveals new witnesses in investigation. He also says, I dont think theres a day that has ever gone by in my life that there hasnt been a moment that I havent thought about Natalie and how much she meant to me in my heart, in my soul., Natalies younger sister, Lana Wood, has always thought Wagner was involved. Actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned in the Pacific Ocean on November 29, 1981, in a death that was initially ruled accidental. Today, he believes Natalie was killed and thrown overboard. When she went out there, there was a slight mist that night and the assumption is she went out there and slipped and hit her head and rolled into the water, says Wagner. A representative for Wagner had no comment. 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. However, both Natasha and her sister Courtney think Lana is simply wrong. Natalie Wood: What Remains documentary trailer, What happened that night only she knows, because she was alone, Christopher Walken said of Woods tragic death in 1997, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Damien Chazelles The Eddy sounds wonderful but the plot is weak, On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous shows how often love is tied to pain, Lionel Shriver: Most Covid victims wouldve died within a year anyway. All I can do is attempt to have people understand the truth, and to show Natalie as she really was.. After the tragic death of his wife, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner remarried twice. Now, she has written Little Sister: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood (Dey Street Books), out Tuesday. While Natalie passed away on Nov. 29, 1981, Robert began a relationship with actress Jill St. John not even three months later, on Valentine's Day 1982. In 2011 the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened the investigation into Woods death due to new information becoming available. I know who I am.. Gender: Male. Pushed by Lana on the matter, Natalie told her: Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you dont know., I would have really liked to hear, I love him dearly and I cant live without him, something like that, Lana said. Natalie and Wagners daughter, Courtney, was born in 1974, and after making such hits as Gypsy, West Side Story and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Wood had largely disappeared from the big screen. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty joined CBSN with more. He was in Hong Kong at the time of his death, which was blamed on a brain edema caused by an allergic reaction to painkillers. A coroner found that Natalie had fresh bruises on her body that didnt look like they were from the boat but from a person. (Gregson Wagner has previously paid homage to her mother by creating a gardenia-based perfume called Natalie, and co-authoring a 2016 biographical coffee table book, Natalie Wood: Reflections on a Legendary Life.). Later, he was unable to find his wife, searched the boat along with the captain and noticed the dinghy was missing. Premiering in 1968, ABCs It Takes a Thief was a hit and Wagner was commanding about $10,000 per episode. Im so sorry, Lana. 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. The studio system played a hand in their first date, an arranged meeting in 1956 set up to garner publicity for the admired actress (she had appeared the previous year alongside James Dean in the hit Rebel Without a Cause) and the on-the-cusp supporting player. After a day of drinking, tempers reportedly flared in the evening with Wagner breaking a bottle, supposedly over Woods apparent closeness to Walken. I was right. My bond with Natasha is very, very intense, he told People. I wanted him to feel safe enough to unfold, like a flower, and be honest, and show his humanity. In the film, Wagner recalls authorities later telling him that Woods body had been found. 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. The case was reopened six years ago and now has key witness accounts. Washed up on shore on Catalina [Island].. Robert Wagner Dead Or Alive: Did He Remarry After Natalie Wood Died? Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Have Split After Six Years. According to breaking news, Natalie had disappeared from the yacht during the night, supposedly taking a dinghy to her husband would later say party hop. Her body was found floating in the water the next morning, in a nightgown, socks and a down jacket. 2023 Cable News Network. The 35-year-old leaped out of bed, found her wailing mother on the floor and took the phone away from her. ET on HBO. Natalie Wood's 1981 drowning death has remained one of Hollywood's great mysteries for four decades. She had gone to bed before us, and her room was at the back. CBS News was the first to report that actor Robert Wagner is now being called a person of interest in the 1981 death of his wife, actress Natalie Wood. What has Walken said about the incident? Davern said he made his way to the back of the ship. Dennis Davern, the Splendour's captain, also claimed Wood and Wagner argued the night before Wood died. 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.
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