Chris Wood // Getty Images After Thanksgiving 1981, Wood and Wagner began planning one of their frequent boat trips to Catalina Island, off the coast of . 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. Its quite extraordinary.. In 1969 Wood married film producer Richard Gregson. The official cause of death was an overdose . Woods body was not discovered until the following morning, November 29, floating in the water off Catalina near a dinghy belonging to their boat. During the years between the two nuptials, Natalie married and split from Richard Gregson, to whom daughter and What Remains Behind producer Natasha Gregson Wagner was born. "The Adventures of Superman" star, George Reeves, was found dead in his home on June 15, 1959, at the age of 45. 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. When Davern went to investigate, he claims Wagner told him to go away. But Im really glad we did it. Wagner also wants to make it clear he doesnt think Walken was involved. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. When they married for a second time, Robert and Natalie had a daughter together: Courtney Wagner, who they raised together with Natasha. And yet I was asking him to step outside of his comfort zone to talk about the night that [Wood] died. Asked whether she went into the conversation hoping to disprove specific theories, Gregson Wagner said, I wasnt really concerned with disproving these outlandish theories, I was more just wanting to have the kind of conversation that he and I have had in the past about other things, but on camera. March 11, 2020. 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. But that doesnt mean I dont think he did it: Of course he did!. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has cleared Robert Wagner in its investigation into the death of his late wife Natalie Wood. Taylor Swift's Atlanta ticket prices are dropping big time. Speaking to his stepdaughter, Wagner recalls opening another bottle of wine, and Wood retiring to bed. Wood, who had first appeared on screen shortly before her fifth birthday in Happy Land (1943), first encountered Wagner a few years after her debut. Its not a continuous thing, just a moment, a turn, her hair, some kind of look. A representative for Wagner had no comment. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. Heavy notes that the next time Walken spoke about the incident was in 1997, in which The Hollywood Reporter said he described Woods death as an accident in Playboy Magazine. After the tragic death of his wife, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner remarried twice. Wood maintained the split was amicable. The cause of death was changed from accident to undetermined in 2012. They chose the 1972 Academy Awards ceremony as their first public outing as a newly reformed couple. He and Walken argued about Wood putting her career ahead of her family, and Wagner admits that he smashed a wine bottle out of anger. It was here when he says that Wood excused herself. Let's just stay, let's have another bottle of wine.. 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. His sudden and shocking passing came just a month before the premiere of his classic 1973 film, "Enter the Dragon.". 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. NATASHA GREGSON WAGNER. Actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned in the Pacific Ocean on November 29, 1981, in a death that was initially ruled accidental. Davern claims Walken also stormed out and went to his cabin, while Wagner stayed where he was, and began to drink with the captain. After Walken retired to bed, Wagner says that he and Davern swept up the broken bottle on the floor. We drove a Corvette across the country, Wood recalled of the time. But many still believe that Reeves was murdered. Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner in 1972. We pay for your stories! News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. But RJ [Wagner] said no, no, let's not do that. 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. We talked about what had happened to our marriages. I never questioned him. Robert Wagner remarried in 1990, nearly a decade after the death of his wife, Natalie Wood. I lived a charmed life, and then I lost a beautiful woman I loved with all my heart, Wagner said of her death. Natasha Gregson Wagner, Robert Wagner and Courtney Wagner. ", The two continued to argue, and eventually Robert "calmed down." Following Wood's death in late 1981, Wagner became the legal guardian of her daughter by producer Richard . ", 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. 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. (At a different point in the film, Brainstorm director Douglas Trumbull addresses rumors that Wood was having an affair with Walken at the time of her deathcalling an affair impossible. As evidence, he explains that he filmed a Brainstorm sex scene between Wood and Walken, and that there was almost no sexual charisma between them at all.), Speaking about the conversation she had with her stepfather, which was filmed over the course of two days, Gregson Wagner said, I am very protective of my stepdad and I adore him. Wagner says in the documentary that he assumed she went out to retie the dinghy and he and Gregson Wagner recall that Wood hated the way it would bang against the side of the boat. At the time of her tragic and untimely death in 1981, Hollywood darling Natalie Wood was married to actor Robert Wagner. Thirty-five years after Natalie Wood drowned while sailing off Catalina Island, her former husband Robert Wagner 86, speaks to PEOPLE in this week's cover story about his family's heartbreak . Wagner said his relationship with his stepdaughter has always been a close one. 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 homicide is still unsolved. ", "RJ and Walken went by helicopter back to the mainland, and I had to identify Natalie's body.". The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Afterward, Natalie went over and put her arm around Lana, asking her what was wrong. 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. They found her body this morning, the friend explained. Shes played Jack Nicholsons daughter, Gwyneth Paltrows sister, and Nicolas Cages estranged wife. Then Wagner went downstairs, discovered that Wood was missing, and notified the coast guard. Ana de Armas Shares Story About Robert De Niro and Her Dad During. At the time . Although she was just 23, the Grammy-winning artist had established an incredible legacy at the time of her death, one that her husband, British songstress Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London home in July 2011. I was in bed then. READ MORE: The Mystery Surrounding Natalie Wood's Death. All Rights Reserved. Although Elvis' death was ruled to be the result of an irregular heartbeat, there were accusations that prescription drug abuse was a factor. The daughter of Lionel Richie said the process has been one of the greatest experiences of her life. 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. There was also a rescue worker named Roger Smith who helped pull Woods body out of the water who said they werent called until 5 a.m. Theres no question in my mind that he just delayed calling for us, Smith said, referring to Wagner. Im so sorry, Lana. Along with their two previous children from earlier marriages, they formed a Hollywood family unit admired by fans new and old. The 35-year-old leaped out of bed, found her wailing mother on the floor and took the phone away from her. 2023 Cond Nast. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened the case, interviewing other key witnesses, whom the original detectives never bothered pursuing. 00:00. Police said he died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications, including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills. 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. Davern reportedly told podcastFatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Woodthe pair left the yacht in the Dinghy, and described the woman as petrified. And it turns out that Robert moved on from Natalie very shortly after her tragic death by drowning. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood attended the wrap party for his TV series Hart to Hart April 9, 1980 in Los Angeles. A fortune teller told her mother, Maria, that she would give birth to a famous actress, and Maria did her best to manifest that prediction. They were totally out of character.. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Classic rock legend dead at 71 just months after his brother, Jerry Springer revealed his single happiest moment in final interview before death, Stew Leonard, founder of famous grocery chain, dies at 93 after brief illness, Little Sister: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood, Kirk Douglas sexually assaulted a teenage Natalie. In the documentary, Wagner says he and Walken got into an argument, but both thought Natalie was safe on the boat. In the early 1990s, Dennis Davern began calling her, talking about Natalie and Wagners troubled relationship. A child star turned teen idol, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Natalie Wood had grown up on film screens in front of millions of Americans, and at age 18 had made the transition to serious adult actress. At that point, Wood went below deck to go to bed, and allegedly, no one saw her alive again. Getty We have not been able to prove this was a homicide. February 1, 2018 / 7:38 AM / CBS News. He was on the boat the night she died, but has never spoken publicly about her death. (Gregson Wagner told Vanity Fair that she asked both Walken and Lana Wood to participate in the documentary, but both declined. According to a Vanity Fair profile on her, she once wrote a letter to the Los Angeles District Attorney that said, Why, year after year, is this man [Wagner] allowed his lies, allowed to move out of the state, allowed to refuse to meet and speak to the detectives continually! Robert Wagner has been cleared in the case probing Natalie Wood's death. Its a ing bore.). "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. I always knew he was okay. Theyre not going to redefine me. ET on HBO and HBO Latino, and Monday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. Wood was also found to have blood alcohol higher than the limit. We all would have, says Wagner, adding, I dont pay very much attention to [the speculation], Natasha. They were totally out of character.. It really didnt sit well.. 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. One day, Natalies quiet Rebel Without a Cause co-star James Dean came by, and Lana ambushed him. Wagner told People the family was "shattered" by the loss of Wood, Her daughters have developed a perfume named for her. He said: I saw the dinghy was missing and fired up the engines to start searching. 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. "All leads in the Natalie Wood case have been . 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. I picked up the bottle and smashed it on the table. Robert Wagner noticed Natalie Wood missing at approximately 11 p.m. after the group returned from the restaurant. . RadarOnline was first to report the news. Hetold Lana and would write in a 2011 testimonial thathe overheard Wagner accuse Walken of wanting to fk Natalie. All I can do is attempt to have people understand the truth, and to show Natalie as she really was.. Please kill the Marvel Cinematic Universe before it's too Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert, $76K NJ boarding school admits falling 'tragically short' in protecting teen who killed self after relentless bullying, 'rapist' taunts, Georgia player under fire after racist remark during 2023 NFL Draft on livestream, Megyn Kelly sports red MAGA-style hat in poolside pic, Jess Margera says his brother, Bam, is dying: Nothing I can do about it, Mark Wahlberg responds to Entourage reboot rumors, Kim Kardashian seemingly shades Kourtneys wedding in now-deleted caption amid feud, Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny. Natalie went on to marry producer Richard Gregson and give birth to their daughter, Natasha; Wagner wed actress Marion Marshall, with whom he had daughter Katie. Natalie Woods 1981 drowning death has remained one of Hollywoods great mysteries for four decades. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty joined CBSN with more. But the cause of his death has been a hot topic of debate: His passing was officially due to natural causes, but a, As a master of martial arts and an action star, Bruce Lee was reaching the zenith of his career when he died at 32 in July 1973. The relationship had run its course, says a source. View our online Press Pack. Lana nabbed her first film role when she was 7, playing a younger version of her sisters character in the Western The Searchers.. It has always bothered Gregson Wagner that her mother is remembered more for her death than for her accomplishments in life. In 2011 the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reopened the investigation into Woods death due to new information becoming available. Did you encounter any technical issues? Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Authorities classified her death as an accident, concluding the 43-year-old star of . From the offset, Davern, who had been captaining the couple's boat for six years, said he had an ominous feeling about the voyage. Robert, or R.J. as his friends called him, rarely attended social gatherings after Natalie's death. This makes her Robert's stepdaughter. In addition to Woods three Oscar nominations (for 1955s Rebel Without a Cause, 1961s Splendor in the Grass, and 1963s Love With the Proper Stranger), Wood was a devoted mother to Gregson Wagner and Courtney, and an empowered star who leveraged her profile to handpick her roles and costars including Redfordthe then-unknown she pushed to be cast in 1965s Inside Daisy Clover. I was in bed then. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. But did Robert Wagner remarry after Natalie tragically died at the age of 43? Hope Davis Has Done Everything, and Shes Finally Everywhere. The couple remained married until St. John's death in 2020. 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. Lana woke up in her Los Angeles home the morning of Nov. 29, 1981, to a ringing phone followed by a blood-curdling scream. She was 27. Their first marriage lasted from 1957 to 1962, and the Hollywood stars would go on to remarry in 1972. 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. He focused his attention on caring for . Davern says when Wood's body was found, it was left to him to identify her. Heath Ledger was poised to ascend to a new level of stardom when he died at 28 in January 2008. I wanted him to feel safe enough to unfold, like a flower, and be honest, and show his humanity.
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