Natalie Wood
Her sister has made allegations of abuse against Kirk Douglas
Natalie Wood and Kirk Douglas at a joint event in 1966.
© imago / ZUMA Wire
Natalie Wood is said to have been sexually abused by Kirk Douglas. This is what her sister claims in a new book.
The late Hollywood actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981) is said to have been sexually abused as a teenager by the also deceased Oscar winner Kirk Douglas (1916-2020, “Spartacus”), according to a new book.
Natalie Wood’s younger sister, Lana Wood (75), raises these allegations in her memoir “Little Sister – My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood”. ) to be released on November 9th.
The alleged incident at the Hotel Chateau Marmont
According to excerpts from the book, published by the Associated Press, The alleged assault took place at a meeting between the two actors in the summer of 1955 at the Hotel Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. Lana, then about eight, and her mother, Maria Zakharenko, had brought Natalie to the meeting.
“I remember Natalie looking particularly beautiful when my mother and I dropped her off at the entrance to Chateau Marmont that evening,” Lana Wood writes in “Little Sister”. Her mother arranged the meeting because she should have thought that “her [Natalie] many doors could be opened if he just nodded his famous, handsome head, “said Lana Wood.
“It seemed to be a long time before Natalie got back in the car and woke me up when she slammed the door,” she continues. “She looked terrible. She was very disheveled and very excited, and she and Mom started whispering intensely to each other. I couldn’t really hear or understand what they were saying. Obviously something bad had happened to my sister, but whatever it was was, I was apparently too young to know. “
At the time it is said to have happened, Natalie Wood was filming “The Black Falcon” (1956). For her role in the 1955 James Dean film “… because they don’t know what they’re doing” she was awarded a Golden Globe for “Best Young Actress” and she was nominated for an Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress” .
Her mother advised secrecy
According to Lana Wood, Natalie Wood didn’t talk to her about what had happened until they were both adults. Natalie said to Lana. “He hurt me, Lana.” She is also said to have said: “I was scared, I was confused.”
Lana, who is now 75, also wants to remind herself that her sister and mother should have agreed that if she publicly accused him, it would ruin Natalie’s career.
She died under mysterious circumstances, he became very old
Natalie Wood, whose death the book primarily focuses on, died under mysterious circumstances in November 1981 after drowning on a weekend boat trip off Santa Catalina Island, California.
Originally the cause of death was classified as “Accident”, but in 2012 it was changed to “Drowning and other undetermined factors”. Wood’s husband at the time (1972-1981), actor Robert Wagner (91, “tough but warm”), was classified as a suspect by the police in 2018 and Lana Wood is one of those who hold him responsible for Natalie’s death.
Kirk Douglas died in February 2020 at the age of 103.
Michael Douglas’ unusual comment
The spokesman for Kirk Douglas’ son, Oscar winner Michael Douglas (77, “Wall Street”), made an unusual statement to the news agency: “May you both rest in peace.” In response to inquiries from industry magazines such as “Variety” he didn’t respond.