Natalie Wood’s sibling, Lana Wood, has disclosed that an alleged gay relationship was the catalyst behind the actress’ separation from her spouse Robert Wagner two decades before her passing.
Initially wed to Wagner from 1957 to 1962 and then remarried in 1972 until her demise in 1981, Wood’s marriage faced turmoil due to a purported incident in June 1961.
In a recent podcast series titled Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood, the renowned actress detailed the disintegration of her union in an unpublished memoir acquired by the podcast creators.
Reflecting on the tumultuous period, Wood conveyed, “My marriage crumbled that weekend.
The events leading to our final split are too agonizing for me to recount here.”
Lana Wood recollects a distressing memory from her teenage years when her sister arrived at their residence in tears and distress.
Recalling the heartbreaking moment, Lana shared, “I had never seen her in such a state.
She confided in me that something dreadful had transpired, leading to her decision to part ways with R.J.”
Tragedy struck in 1981 when Wood, Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and Captain Dennis Davern were aboard Wagner’s vessel Splendour, where Wood met her untimely end.
Davern, who has given several interviews recounting the night of Wood’s death, admitted to NBC News’ David Gregory in 2011, “I made grave errors and falsified information in a report years ago.”
Expressing his suspicions, Davern suggested Wagner’s involvement in Wood’s tragic demise.
Walken, a witness to the events that fateful night, has seldom broached the subject but vaguely remarked to People magazine in 1986 about Wood’s fall into the water.
In a 1997 interview, Walken speculated on the circumstances surrounding Wood’s disappearance, emphasizing her solitary presence during that fatal night.
However, Lana Wood postulates a different narrative, implying a physical altercation led to her sister’s plunge off the boat during a heated altercation.
While Wagner has cooperated with law enforcement inquiries over the years, he abstained from addressing queries when the case was revisited on the 30th anniversary of Wood’s passing.
Remaining silent on Lana Wood’s assertions regarding the alleged affair, Wagner has refrained from commenting on the matter.
The podcast series debuted on July 20, coinciding with what would have been Natalie Wood’s 80th birthday.
