What Really Happened on the Boat Between Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood?

The Mysterious Incident on the Boat Between Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood, a beloved Hollywood actress, passed away tragically at the age of 43 while on a trip with her husband, Robert Wagner.

The couple was accompanied by Wood's close friend and co-star from the film Brainstorm, Christopher Walken, aboard their yacht named Splendour.

Wood's death, which was initially ruled as an accident, has raised suspicions of foul play, with Wagner being suspected of her murder.

The details surrounding this cold case are still shrouded in mystery, but Walken maintains that there is no enigma and that Wood simply slipped and drowned while alone.

Wood rose to fame at the tender age of eight with her role in Miracle on 34th Street in 1947.

Throughout her career, she received several Academy Award nominations for her outstanding performances in films such as Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, Love with the Proper Stranger, and the iconic musical West Side Story.

In 1957, Wood tied the knot with fellow actor Robert Wagner when she was just 19 years old.

The couple divorced in 1962 but later remarried each other in 1972.

Their second wedding took place on their boat, the Ramblin' Rose, near Paradise Cove in Malibu.

Wood and Wagner welcomed their daughter, Courtney, into the world in 1972.

Wood also had another child, Natasha, from her previous marriage.

Natasha, who later became an actress herself, was raised by Wagner and his wife Jill St. John after Wood's tragic demise.

In 1981, Wood starred in the sci-fi film Brainstorm alongside Christopher Walken, who played her estranged husband in the movie.

During the production, Walken and Wood formed a close bond.

In 2021, Wood's sister, Lana Wood, released an investigative biography titled Little Sister: My Investigation Into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood.

In the book, Lana revealed that Natalie enjoyed working with Walken and was thrilled to portray the love interest of an actor five years her junior.

Prior to the ill-fated boat trip, there seemed to be a strained dynamic between Natalie, Walken, and Wagner at Wagner's Thanksgiving party.

Lana noticed tension and occasional sullenness in Wagner's demeanor, particularly when Walken made a brief appearance.

According to Lana, Natalie had casually mentioned the possibility of divorcing Wagner for the second time.

On November 27, 1981, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, and Christopher Walken embarked on a yacht trip from Marina del Rey aboard Wagner's Splendour.

Captain Dennis Davern accompanied them on the voyage.

Notably absent from the journey was Walken's wife, Georgianne.

The weather was cold and wet, reflecting the somber mood on the yacht.

Lieutenant John Corina, involved in the case, revealed that Wagner felt neglected by Natalie, who seemed more attentive to Walken than to him.

During their stop at Avalon on Catalina Island, the trio indulged in heavy drinking.

Captain Davern later recalled that the tension escalated as alcohol flowed freely.

He stated, “The jealousy was under the surface until there was so much drinking that it started to come out and it was obvious.”

That night, they returned to the boat after an argument.

Witnesses on a nearby vessel claimed to have overheard a drunken altercation between Wagner and Wood.

Wagner wanted to move the boat, but Wood expressed concerns about the darkness and dangerous weather conditions.

In the midst of the argument, Wood decided to spend the night in a hotel in Avalon.

She asked Davern to escort her and revealed her intention to divorce Wagner.

However, Wood and Davern returned to the boat the following day.

Later that evening, the four of them went out drinking again.

Davern recalled that when he and Wagner entered the restaurant and saw Natalie and Walken enjoying themselves, Wagner's anger flared up.

At around 10:30 pm, the group returned to the yacht, with the restaurant manager warning the harbor authorities about the intoxicated state of the celebrity visitors.

Another altercation ensued that night, though various accounts differ.

Davern claimed that Wagner, upon seeing Wood and Walken laughing together, erupted in a fit of rage and smashed a wine bottle.

Wagner admitted to getting into an argument that night and breaking a wine bottle.

However, he stated that the argument was about Wood's career and not fueled by jealousy or any affair between Walken and Wood.

According to Davern, Wagner shouted, “What are you tryin' to do, f*** my wife?”

Wood declared, “I cannot take this,” and retreated to her room.

Walken also left and went back to his own bedroom.

Davern alleged that Wagner followed Wood to her room, where a violent fight took place.

When Davern knocked on the door, Wagner answered with a deranged look and told him to leave.

Davern claimed that the fight then moved to the back of the boat.

Two witnesses on nearby boats claimed to have overheard the altercation, which abruptly ceased.

Davern returned to the stateroom, where Wagner joined him ten minutes later, saying that Natalie was missing.

He also pointed out that the boat's dinghy was gone.

The pair searched the yacht before opening a bottle of scotch whiskey and spending an hour drinking together.

It is unclear whether Walken was awake, present, or aware of Wood's disappearance at that point.

At 1:30 am, they sought assistance from locals in Avalon and eventually contacted the Coast Guard, although Davern claimed that Wagner was hesitant to do so.

Many have questioned the notion that Wood willingly left the safety of the yacht at night.

Despite their frequent boat trips, Wood had confessed her fear of dark water and the sea in an interview with a journalist.

Wood's lifeless body was discovered just a mile away from the yacht, with the inflatable dinghy found beached nearby.

She had bruises and an abrasion on her cheek.

Her cause of death was ruled as accidental drowning and hypothermia, with the judge suggesting that she may have slipped while attempting to re-board the dinghy.

Christopher Walken fully supports the theory of accidental drowning and has not deviated from this explanation in public statements.

When questioned by People Magazine in 1986 about Wood's death, Walken responded tersely, “I don't know what happened.

She slipped and fell in the water.

I was in bed then.

It was a terrible thing.

Look, we're in a conversation I won't have.

It's a f***ing bore.”

In 1997, Walken further expounded on the drowning theory, proposing that Wood fell from the yacht while trying to move the dinghy, hit her head, and subsequently drowned.

He stated, “Anyone present would understand the logistics of the boat, the darkness of the night, our location, and the rain – they would know exactly what happened.”

Walken added, “Only she knows what happened that night because she was alone.

She had gone to bed before us, and her room was located at the back.

A partially submerged ski ramp was present.”

Walken made no mention of a jealous altercation, the wine bottle incident, or any romantic involvement between himself and Wood.

No arrests were made in connection with the case, and Wagner was cleared of any involvement during a 2022 investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

However, the case remains unsolved, and in 2012, Wood's cause of death was officially amended to “drowning and other undetermined factors.”

Josh Donen, Wagner's stepson and