Despite the mystery surrounding Natalie Wood’s death, the West Side Story star’s daughter Courtney Wagner (who is now 46 years old) has always stood by Robert Wagner, 90. The Hart to Hart star was Natalie’s husband at the time Natalie drowned off Catalina Island’s coast in 1981, after the married couple took a boating trip on a 55-foot yacht. Courtney was only seven years old at the time of the tragedy. Due to the unusual circumstances of the death that was initially ruled as an accident, the case was reopened in 2011 and by 2018, the Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators named Robert a person of interest.
Robert has shut down the rumors of his involvement in Natalie’s death — including Courtney. Learn more about the youngest daughter of Hollywood’s former power couple ahead of the premiere of HBO’s new documentary, Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, on May 5.
1. The bond between Courtney and her family is indestructible. Despite the tragedy that rocked the Wagner family in 1981, everyone stuck together. Robert took on the task of raising Courtney, Katie Wagner (his other daughter from a past marriage) and stepdaughter Natasha Wagner. Natasha, who was just 11 years old when Natalie died, even addresses the case in a direct conversation with Robert in the new documentary!
2. She was “furious” over the accusations against her father. Courtney has slammed the rumors that suggested Robert was responsible for Natalie’s death. “Having gone through something like that together I always felt especially bonded to my dad and Katie and Natasha. It made me feel especially angry for all the terrible things said about my father,” she told People in an interview published on April 30, 2020. “I was furious at the accusations being said about him, it felt incredibly disrespectful especially knowing the source of where these accusations came from. It was so transparent that certain people exploited my family like this and it makes me very protective of my father. I love him so deeply so and it has gone on for so long that I still can’t believe they actually write such untrue things.”
3. Courtney was arrested in 2012. The police were called to her home after a woman’s screams and a gunshot were heard, TMZ reported. Upon arrival, the authorities found her to be in “possession of cocaine and heroin” and was arrested for suspicion of felony drug possession, according to the outlet.
4. Courtney battled addiction problems. Following her arrest, she opened up about these issues in an interview with FOX411 in Nov. 2012. “A label was put on me, and I felt so badly that my mom was associated with having a so-called ‘junkie daughter.’ I was so upset that I had defamed her name, and I had to look at how I could make this better for my mom and find healthier ways to deal with everything that has happened to me,” she told the outlet.
Courtney’s sister, Natasha, also gave an update on Courtney’s road to recovery in the same People interview mentioned above (published in April 2020). “Courtney is somebody who lives in the truth and her recovery demands that of her,” the actress said. “She is not ashamed of her struggles. She has gotten to a place where she has compassion for herself and forgiveness.”
5. She founded a jewelry company. Courtney launched a high-end jewelry brand called Wagner and Ko in 2001 with her childhood best friend, Anita Ko. It’s unclear if Courtney is still tied to the brand; Anita now runs a jewelry business under her own name.