Losing a parent is anyone's worst nightmare. But when you're young, and your mother is in the spotlight, it can be even more terrifying. Natalie Wood's daughter says when she lost her mother, she felt a lot of pain, and it took her years to recover.
Natalie Wood was known for her work in classic films such as Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story. She started acting as a young girl and had a bright future ahead of her. However, in 1981, she was the victim of a boating incident. Her husband, Robert Wagner, was with her when it happened. Actor Christopher Walken was also reportedly there.
At the time, Natalie was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. She often attracted tabloid attention for her personal life, dating influential people like Elvis Presley before marrying Robert for the first time. After their divorce, Natalie married Richard Gregson and had a daughter named Natasha. She divorced Richard and reconnected with Robert, marrying him for the second time. The two had one daughter together, Courtney.
Natasha is now married to actor Barry Watson, and she chose to open up about how she felt the night she learned her mom had died.
Natasha was only 11 years old when she learned that her mom had died. Her stepfather, Robert, came home to deliver the news to her and Courtney. Natasha is currently 49 and remembers the moment very clearly. She detailed it in her new book, titled More Than Love.
"My mom was so huge in her love and her heart and her laughter and in her life, and then overnight, it just left, and I became a shadow of myself," she said. What made matters worse was the fact that the press couldn't let go of the story. Natalie Wood's death is still a mystery to many.
Biography reports that Natalie was found floating in the ocean near California's Catalina Island. She was wearing items that indicated she was about to go to bed — a flannel nightgown, a down jacket, and wool socks. It was likely chilly outside, as this happened in November. A day after she was found, Thomas Noguchi, chief medical examiner, determined the cause of death to be an accidental drowning.
However, there were marks on Natalie that indicated she struggled to get back on the yacht after falling in the water. It's still a mystery as to why Natalie was out during the middle of the night, and why none of the men on board realized she had disappeared. Natalie sister also revealed that Natalie had a terrible fear of "dark water."
But others feel as if there may have been a drunken altercation between the two men. Biography writes that the captain of the ship said that Christopher Walken was flirty with Natalie, which set off Robert Wagner. No matter what, Natasha seems to stand by her dad.
"It’s outrageous and completely unacceptable that others have created this narrative about my dad and the night my mom died," Natasha said to People. "I know that if my mom had been in any kind of distress he would have given his life for her. I know that as well as I know my name."
Aside from her story, Natasha is also working on a project with HBO to discuss the story of her mother. It's called Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, and will be premiering on May 5. "I want to set the record straight and I want to live in the light," she says. "And I want my mom’s memory to live in the light."
She also told People that she has her own theory of what happened. And it does add up. "I have always understood that my mother slipped and fell, bruising her body and possibly ending up unconscious before she entered the water — but we can never know with complete certainty," she wrote in her book. She also believes alcohol was involved.
But she admits that she'll likely never find out what happened for sure. "I have had to make peace with not knowing," she said. "I wish others could do the same." But she knows her mom would have been honored by the book and HBO series. "I know that this is how she wants to be remembered," Natasha said. "She was human, she was an artist who struggled and she was brave and she was happy."
To truly understand her mother, Natasha was able to read through a lot of her old journals. It's unclear as to whether or not those journals illustrated Natalie's dark side. While it was seen as sensational and dramatic back in the day, Natalie was also in the news for her mental health.
If only the media treated her as well back then as they would have today. Natalie had struggled with depression and reportedly tried to harm herself during her life. Plus, her childhood contained a lot of traumatic memories. For one, she was reportedly pushed into acting — it wasn't a path she naturally wanted to take.
"I'd been told to act," she reflected as an adult, "and simply acted without questioning." Once, when a script required that she cry and Natalie couldn't deliver, her mother took her aside and pulled the wings off a live butterfly to induce tears. In addition, if Natalie were still alive today, she might have come forward with a horrific #MeToo story that went down when she was only 16.
Natasha's book is very brave and reminds the public that her mother was still a person who overcame a lot in her life. "She was a fairytale to me in a way, and I feel like she was waiting for me to get to a place in my growth where I could come and breathe life into her," Natasha said. "Maybe she was ready sooner but she knew that I wasn’t. But now I am."
