Lana Wood, the sister of actress Natalie Wood, recently made a surprising revelation about the reason behind Natalie and Robert Wagner's divorce in 1962. According to Lana, Natalie discovered Wagner in the arms of another man in June 1961, leading to their marital breakdown.
Lana shared this information during an episode of the podcast titled "Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood." Natalie and Wagner were married twice, from 1957 to 1962, and again from 1972 until Natalie's untimely death in 1981.
Lana described the events surrounding her sister's divorce, stating, "My marriage collapsed that weekend. It's too painful for me to recount the incidents that led to the final breakup. It was more than the final straw. It was a harsh reality that shattered the delicate web of romantic fantasies."
Lana also recalled a distressing incident when Natalie, at the age of 15, arrived at their house in tears and with visible injuries. Natalie asked Lana to leave the room, and later, Lana discovered that Natalie had caught Wagner with another man.
Natalie's tragic death occurred in 1981 while she was on Wagner's yacht, Splendour, accompanied by actor Christopher Walken and Captain Dennis Davern. Her body, wearing sleepwear, was found in the water the following day after Davern claimed that she had an intense argument with Wagner.
Davern has given interviews to the media regarding that fateful night, and he admitted in a 2011 interview with NBC News' David Gregory, "I made some terrible decisions and mistakes. I lied in a report several years ago. I made mistakes by not telling the honest truth in a police report." He also expressed his belief that Wagner was responsible for Wood's death.
Walken, who rarely discusses that night, stated to People magazine in 1986, "I don't know what happened... She slipped and fell into the water. I was in bed at that time. It was a terrible thing. Let's not have this conversation."
However, in a 1997 interview with Playboy, Walken offered a theory about how Natalie ended up in the water. He said, "What happened that night, only she knows because she was alone. She had gone to bed before us, and her room was at the back. A dinghy was hitting the side of the boat, and I think she went out to move it. There was a partially submerged ski ramp. She had told me she couldn't swim; in fact, they had to cut a swimming scene from 'Brainstorm.' She was probably half asleep and wearing a coat."
Lana, speaking on the Fatal Voyage podcast, shared her belief that Natalie was pushed during a heated argument onboard the boat. She added, "I think it escalated to a point where she was either struck or pushed. I don't believe it was planned."
While Wagner has cooperated with the police investigation over the years, he declined to answer questions when the case was reopened on the 30th anniversary of Natalie's death. As of now, Wagner has not responded to Lana Wood's allegations regarding a g@y love affair.
