Celebrities and their mysterious passings are always a hot topic among those interested in the lives of the stars. However, for family members it can bring back painful memories along with long lasting questions of how and why? We can’t help but wonder, in this instance, how did Natalie die? Why her and why in a way that obviously seemed not right? Was it murder? Suicide? Accidental death? While not all the facts are known of that night, what is known can give a few ideas into the last few moments of the acclaimed actresses life.
First, who was Natalie Wood? Perhaps most of you would recognize her as Susan Walker from the 1937 movie Miracle on 34th Street. She was a beautiful, stunning actress who even caught the eye of such stars as Elvis Presley. In short, she was the ‘it’ girl in her day. (Then again, if Elvis were about to propose to you, you must be the cat’s meow, to coin the phrase.) Throughout her acting career, Natalie starred in many memorable movies, one of her biggest being West Side Story. What was commonly known about Natalie was her fear of drowning – from an accident on a set when she was a child. However, without going too much into her acting career (and it was marvelous), there are three commonly known ways in which people feel she passed away on that November night back in 1981.
The first of the rumors is rather ho-hum one in regards to rumors in general. This involves a mere agitation to a dinghy (a small boat – think lifeboat) wrapping up against the side of the ship. How was this a supposed form of death? Well, if you’ve ever been around a dinghy that wraps into a boat, the constant noise can start to bother anyone after a while. Someone stated somewhere (and that’s what always makes a rumor just that, no real names ever given!) that Natalie had gotten irritated with the constant noise of the dinghy banging into the main ship and somehow, while trying to release it fell overboard and drown. Is this likely? Some say no because she was used to sailing on the Splendour.
The second theory, an accidental death one, seems most likely considering what is known. Here’s how I heard about it when I was younger. Natalie was found afloat in a heavy coat, which at most weighed between 30 and 40 pounds when it was soaked by water. The belief is that Natalie, who had been supposedly flirting with Christopher Walken (her co-star in the movie Brainstorm, which was released in 1983) in front of her first/third husband: Robert Wagner, had been disputing with him perhaps over these allegations. The reason the flirting was even remotely known was in part of witnesses at a local establishment who saw the trio drinking bottles of champagne and later became loud. Perhaps the couple got in a fight and she felt it best at the time to take the dinghy to the hotel on shore and stay there the night. What happened next to make this not happen? Perhaps what I’d heard was true: She went to get into the dinghy to leave, somehow slipped and hit her head either on dinghy or boat and fell into the waters. Knowing her fear of drowning, one would’ve assumed she would have made a lot of noise, however, she may have been knocked out cold from her head hitting something accidentally.
When Natalie’s body was discovered the next day, she had several bruises on her arms and legs, perhaps from normal daily things or perhaps from the struggle she put up with before she ended up passing away. The only thing we know for certain is that her life ended way before her time and in the aftermath of this tragedy, two young children were left without a mother. Were either possible accident scenarios a coverup for a murder plot or was it just as it seems – a tragic accident? While we may never know personally, the only ones who would know even slightly – Robert Wagner, the captain of the Splendour and Christopher Walken – they aren’t talking.
Natalie’s death is among one of the most mysterious ones in recent history. While 1981 seems a world away by now, there are many still out there who remember the details so intricately of those days that it feels like it just happened. Celebrity deaths will always intrigue, shock and amaze us as human beings. While some may become known in time, there are some that seem to keep these legends alive.
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For a complete look at Natalie Wood’s acting career: www.imdb.com
