Kirk Douglas Accused of Assaulting Natalie Wood, Claims Her Sister

Natalie Wood, the late Hollywood actress, was allegedly s**ually assaulted by actor Kirk Douglas when she was a teenager, according to claims made by her sister, Lana, in her upcoming memoir “Little Sister.”

The book, set to be released on November 9th, contains extracts published by the Associated Press that detail the assault, which supposedly occurred during the summer of 1955 while Ms. Wood was working on the film “The Searchers.”

Lana Wood asserts that their mother, Maria Zakharenko, arranged the meeting between the two stars at the renowned Chateau Marmont hotel, hoping that Mr. Douglas could provide opportunities for the young actress.

At the time, Mr. Douglas, in his thirties, was a prominent figure in Hollywood, known for his roles in films like “Spartacus,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” and “Gunfight at the O.K.

Corral.”

Describing the incident, Lana Wood recalls, “It seemed like a long time passed before Natalie got back into the car and woke me up when she slammed the door shut.

She looked awful – disheveled and very upset.

She and Mom started urgently whispering to each other, but I couldn't hear or understand what they were saying.

Something terrible had apparently happened to my sister, but I was too young to be informed about it.”

According to Lana Wood, her sister and their mother agreed not to publicly accuse Mr. Douglas of the assault, fearing it would ruin Natalie's career.

It wasn't until years later that Natalie confided in Lana, revealing that she had been taken to Mr. Douglas' suite and that he had harmed her.

Kirk Douglas passed away in February 2020 at the age of 103.

The rumors of the alleged assault were so widespread that upon his death, Natalie Wood's name trended on Twitter alongside his own.

In a statement released through his publicist, Michael Douglas, Kirk's actor son, expressed, “May they both rest in peace.”

Natalie Wood died under mysterious circumstances in November 1981 while on a weekend boat trip to Santa Catalina Island in California.

Initially ruled as an accident, the cause of her death was later revised in 2012 to “drowning and other undetermined factors.”