44 Years Later: ‘Forever Cherished’—Robert Wagner Breaks His Silence on Natalie Wood’s Mysterious Death
Find out what Natalie Wood’s sister, Lana Wood, believes happened to her older sister
It’s been 44 years since Hollywood starlet Natalie Wood mysteriously died at age 43 while on a boat trip to Catalina Island, off the coast of California. On November 27, 1981, the actress, her husband, Robert Wagner, her co-star, Christopher Walken, and their skipper, Dennis Davern, took off on their yacht for a trip that ended in tragedy only a few days later.
Over the years, the case has been opened and closed a number of times, with different theories swirling around about whether her death was an accident or intentional and, if so, who was responsible. Robert Wagner, Wood’s husband at the time, was long considered a person of interest in the case, but he was officially cleared of that just a few years ago.
On the 44th anniversary of Wood’s death, Wagner shared a sweet sentiment to his late wife, writing, “Thinking of Nat today. Her warmth, beauty, and love remain with us through our children and grandchildren. Forever missed, forever cherished. More than love.”
Learn more about the mysterious disappearance and death of Natalie Wood and where the case stands today.
What happened to Natalie Wood?
Nobody could have imagined what would happen after the actors took off on their boat, the Splendour, to Catalina Island. On November 28, 1981, Wood, Walken and Wagner had dinner while the yacht was docked and the trio returned to the boat around 10 PM. Not long after, there was an alleged altercation between Wagner and Walken, during which Wood went missing.
Stories of what really happened that night have varied over the years, as new witnesses have spoken up and evidence has come to light. Initially, the story was that Wood fell in the water while trying to board the dinghy and that she was weighed down by the heaviness of her waterlogged parka.
The dinghy wasn’t found until 5:30 AM on November 29, four hours after the private coast patrol was called and two hours after the Coast Guard showed up. It was found with the engine turned off in an isolated cove but Wood was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until two hours later that her body was discovered in the water.
About the theories surrounding Wood’s death
One of the most talked about theories surrounding the death of Natalie Wood is that Wagner had something to do with it. When the actress’ body was discovered, she was found with fresh bruises on her arms and legs and a cut on her cheek. These things could make sense if Wood had fallen off the yacht and into the water or if she had been in an altercation before ending up in the water.
But years after the case was first closed, it was discovered that there were inconsistencies in the stories of the other passengers aboard the Splendour. Dennis Davern, the skipper, shared that he hadn’t told the truth in his initial statement and that Wagner and Wood were having a heated argument before her death. Other witnesses have since come forward about overhearing an argument between the couple.
Natalie Wood almost drowned as a child
Another strange aspect of this story is that Natalie Wood was deathly terrified of the dark water, a fear that began as a child and stemmed into adulthood. Around age 11, Wood nearly drowned while filming The Green Promise after a stunt went wrong. Wood was meant to run across a rigged bridge that would collapse after she made it across but it fell prematurely, sending Wood into the water and nearly leading to her death.
Wood survived the near-drowning but it led to a lifelong fear of the water. So the idea that she would try to board the dinghy alone, late on that tragic night, was unbelievable to many, including her sister, Lana, who believes Wagner is responsible.
Where the case stands now
The case of Wood’s death was reopened in 2011 due to Davern’s insight into the alleged fight between Wood and Wagner. In 2012, her cause of death was changed from “accidental drowning” to “ drowning and other undetermined factors.” Wagner was named a person of interest in 2018, though he was officially cleared of that in 2022.
The mysterious death of Natalie Wood still remains unsolved and the case still open, with many working to figure out what really happened to the actress.
“But it’s all conjecture,” Wagner wrote in his 2008 memoir, Pieces of My Heart. “Nobody knows. There are only two possibilities: either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened.”
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