The Mysterious Drowning of Hollywood Icon Natalie Wood
She spent her whole life avoiding water only to meet her end in it.
There are few Hollywood mysteries more enduring and heartbreaking than the tragic death of actress Natalie Wood. In the early morning hours of November 29, 1981, the lifeless body of the big-screen icon was found floating off the shore of Catalina Island, a mile away from her husband’s yacht, Splendour.
Wearing nothing but a nightgown, wool socks, and a down jacket, Natalie had drowned, and the circumstances surrounding her death, as well as her husband’s involvement in it, remain cloaked in mystery to this day.
Thanksgiving, 1981
Natalie decided to spend the 1981 Thanksgiving weekend with a trip to Catalina Island together with her husband, fellow actor Robert Wagner, aboard his 55-foot yacht. The couple was joined by Wood’s Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken and the ship’s captain, Dennis Davern. Wood and Walken were in the process of filming the sci-fi film which is probably why he was invited to the trip.
On November 28, the foursome enjoyed a champagne-filled afternoon and dinner at Doug’s Harbor Reef, a restaurant in Catalina, before going back to the yacht for the evening. The night manager at the restaurant later…
