Robert Wagner expressed concern that his stepdaughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, might struggle to cope with the loss of his mother, the renowned actress Natalie Wood. Tragically, she didn’t take it well at all.
Natalie Wood, celebrated for her performances in iconic films like “West Side Story,” “Rebel Without a Cause,” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” was found deceased in the waters near Catalina Island at the age of 43 after an evening of drinking.
Reflecting on that time, Gregson Wagner, who was just 11 years old, shared her thoughts: “If I don’t deal with this, I’ll kill me, so I’m going to deal with it.” Now 95, Wagner was integral in raising Gregson alongside her sisters, Katie and Courtney. In an interview, Gregson Wagner mentioned that her father often expressed pride in her resilience.
“During one session of treatment, he told me, ‘I didn’t think you would make it when your mom passed away,'” said the 54-year-old actress.
She described how challenging it was initially to find her strength, but now she feels more empowered. For years, she’s worked to honor her mother’s legacy, writing a memoir titled “More Than Love,” released in 2020, which was paired with the HBO documentary “Natalie Wood: What’s Behind.” Recently, she even revived her fragrance line as a tribute to Wood.
“Everything was so public, yet the sadness was very personal,” she noted, adding that discussing her grief has been therapeutic.
Gregson Wagner maintains a close relationship with Wagner, who remarried Wood in 1972 when Natasha was little. Their first marriage was in 1957, but they divorced five years later.
“I’ve had a great life, but in that moment, everything felt shattered,” she reflected. “He understands that if he were to pass away tomorrow, I’d be okay, but I would miss him deeply.”
“Sadness is an ongoing journey for me,” she continued. “But my fragrance line brings a touch of beauty to my life, transforming sadness into something lovely.” It’s almost like turning lead into gold in her world.
For decades, there have been suspicions surrounding Wagner’s potential involvement in Wood’s tragic death. In 2020, Natasha mentioned that he had never wished to participate in a documentary to address the speculation.
“He didn’t need any persuasion. When I told him about the documentary with Laurent Bouzereau, he was more than willing to participate. He felt secure and comfortable sharing his side of the story through Laurent’s lens,” she recounted.
Gregson Wagner admires her father’s willingness to relive bittersweet memories and insists he was a loving parent who never harmed their mother, maintaining that the events that unfolded that night were truly tragic and accidental.
For nearly 40 years, intrigue and theories have lingered regarding Wood’s passing. In 2022, authorities declared all avenues had been explored in the case, and Wagner is no longer regarded as a person of interest.
