Natalie Wood was one of the biggest stars of her time, a Hollywood icon who had been in the public eye since childhood. Renowned as a loving mother, and kind hearted woman. She married fellow actor Robert Wagner twice: first in the late 1950s, divorcing in the early 60s, then remarrying in 1972. Their relationship was, highly public, sometimes romanticized, and sometimes volatile behind closed doors.

On Thanksgiving weekend 1981, Wood drowned while the couple was on a weekend boat trip near Catalina Island with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. The official story at the time was accidental drowning, but the circumstances involved conflicting statements, alcohol, arguments, unanswered questions, and witness accounts that never sat right.

Decades later, the case was reopened. The cause of death was changed to “drowning and other undetermined factors,” and Wagner was named a person of interest. The case remains open and officially unsolved. To this day, debates continue about what exactly happened that night, what was said, what was heard on the water, and what was never admitted.

Despite the mystery and suspicion, the tragedy is simple: one of the great actresses of her era died in circumstances that still don’t have a satisfying explanation, and the story of her life has too often been overshadowed by the story of her death. I write about Natalie’s life and death here if interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/aid2000/p/hare-brained-history-volume-46-the?r=4mmzre&utm_medium=ios