Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood's Daughter Share Rare Photo Ahead of Anniversary

Robert Wagner, 96, recently shared a rare photograph with his stepdaughter Natasha Gregson Wagner, celebrating her 56th birthday. The image, posted weeks before the 45th anniversary of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood's mysterious drowning, prompted reactions from fans commenting on Natasha's striking resemblance to her mother.

Wagner, who became Natasha's guardian after Wood's death in 1981 at age 43, expressed his pride in his stepdaughter. "Jill [St. John, Wagner's wife] and I are so proud of the woman you are and the joy, laughter, and love you bring into our lives. We love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays," he wrote.

Fans noted the likeness, with one commenter writing, "Natasha has the same delicacy of her mother. She is lovely." Another added, "You carry the same breathtaking grace and beauty as your mother, Natalie."

Natalie Wood famously drowned off the California coast on November 29, 1981, while on her husband Wagner's yacht. She was 43 at the time and had been drinking with Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and boat captain Dennis Davern.

Wagner later recalled a fierce argument between himself and Walken regarding Wood's career just before her drowning. Wood had been on a production break from her film "Brainstorm," in which she starred alongside Walken.

The investigation into Wood's death was reopened in 2011. Wagner was named a person of interest in 2018 due to discrepancies in his account of the events. However, the case was declared cold in 2022, and Wagner was officially cleared.

Despite the official clearing, speculation has continued. Wagner has maintained that theories surrounding Wood's fall from the yacht are mere conjecture, stating in his memoirs, "Nobody knows. There are only two possibilities: Either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."

Natasha Gregson Wagner has consistently defended Wagner, writing in her 2020 book "More Than Love, An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood" that "No one in my world questioned my dad's love for my mom or his utter despair at her loss." She has chosen to focus on her love for her mother, father, and family, stating, "My mother was not a tragic, doomed person. Her life was devoted to her art, her children, her husband and her heart."

Wagner and Wood were married twice, first from 1957 to 1962 and again from 1972 until her death. Their daughter Courtney was born in 1974. Wood also had Natasha with her first husband, film producer Richard Gregson, whom she divorced in 1972.

Wagner, whose career began in the 1950s, achieved significant fame as Jonathan Hart in the television series "Hart to Hart" and later appeared in the "Austin Powers" film series.

In December 2023, Wagner shared a photo from his 1957 wedding to Wood, reaffirming his enduring love for her. "66 years ago on December 28th 1957, Natalie was my girl and now she was my wife. Happy Anniversary, Nat. More than love."