Robert Wagner Poses with Natalie Wood's Daughter Ahead of 45th Anniversary of Her Death

Robert Wagner, 96, recently shared a photograph with his stepdaughter Natasha Gregson Wagner, as the 45th anniversary of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood's drowning approaches. The image, taken last month to celebrate Natasha's 56th birthday, shows Wagner smiling alongside her. Fans noted Natasha's striking resemblance to her mother.

Wagner, who referred to Natasha as his "wonderful daughter" in a social media post, became her guardian after Wood's death in 1981 at the age of 43. Wood tragically drowned off the California coast on November 29, 1981, during Thanksgiving weekend. She had been on Wagner's yacht, the Splendour, with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken, along with the boat's captain, Dennis Davern.

Investigation into Wood's Death

The circumstances surrounding Wood's death have been a subject of public interest and investigation for decades. Wagner and Walken reportedly argued about Wood's career prior to her falling from the yacht. Wood, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her role in "West Side Story," was on a production break from the film "Brainstorm," in which she starred with Walken.

The investigation into her death was reopened in 2011. In 2018, Wagner was named a person of interest due to discrepancies in his account of the events. An autopsy had also revealed bruises on Wood's body. However, the case was declared cold in 2022, and Wagner was officially cleared.

Despite the official clearance, speculation about the events of that night has persisted. Wagner has maintained that any theories about Wood's fall are conjecture, stating that only two possibilities exist: she was either trying to move away from an argument or secure a dinghy, but ultimately, "nobody knows exactly what happened."

Family and Career

Wood and Wagner were married twice: from 1957 to 1962, and again from 1972 until her death. They had a daughter, Courtney, born in 1974. Wood also had a daughter, Natasha, from her marriage to producer Richard Gregson. Wagner also has a daughter, Katie, from a previous marriage.

Wagner, whose acting career began in the 1950s, achieved significant fame as Jonathan Hart in the television series "Hart to Hart" in the late 1970s and later appeared in the "Austin Powers" film series. He has been married to Jill St. John since 1990.

Natasha Gregson Wagner has publicly defended her stepfather. In her 2020 book, "More Than Love, An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood," she wrote that no one in her inner circle questioned Wagner's love for her mother or his grief. She stated, "We can never know with complete certainty how my mother ended up in the water," and emphasized her focus on her love for her family and her mother's dedication to her art and children.