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Warren Beatty and Natalie Wooden
Actress Natalie Wooden was an exquisite lady, an award-winning actress, and by all accounts, a full of life, spirited lady whom everybody loved being round, based on the brand new HBO documentary known as Natalie Wooden: What Stays Behind. So it’s no shock that her relationship and marriage historical past boasts among the brightest stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Right here’s what that you must learn about Wooden’s lovers and husbands.
Wooden Married Robert Wagner in 1957
Wooden met her eventual first husband Robert Wagner (who everybody known as “RJ”) across the film studio when she was a teen, however they didn’t exit till she was of age — the 26-year-old truly took her out on their first date for her 18th birthday.
Within the documentary, Wooden recounts how she had a crush on him on the age of 10 and advised her mom that she needed to marry him when she grew up. On December 28, 1957, her want got here true. However they separated simply 4 years later and divorced in 1962.
Wagner admits within the documentary that there was stress within the relationship as a result of her profession was skyrocketing.
“My profession was not igniting like hers was, however that wasn’t actually a really large consider the truth that we separated and finally divorced,” says Wagner. “It was the strain on her and her profession that precipitated that. I additionally suppose I’d have been capable of deal with it higher if I had been older and a bit extra skilled.”
Wooden Dated Warren Beatty For Two Years, Then a String of Different Well-known Males
In 1961, Wooden co-starred with heartthrob actor Warren Beatty in Splendor within the Grass, for which she earned her first Oscar nomination. She and Beatty would go on to this point for 2 years, however Wooden’s pal, playwright Mart Crowley, says within the documentary that she didn’t cheat on Wagner and that Wooden and Beatty didn’t get collectively “till lengthy after Splendor had wrapped.”
Wagner admits that relationship made him loopy and he fled to Europe, which is the place he reconnected with actress Marion Marshall, whom he would go on to marry in 1963.
“That was a really tough time as a result of I used to be so upset and disturbed by all the pieces that I used to be able to go after [Beatty]. I can discuss that fairly simply now, however on the time, it was a little bit bit tough,” says Wagner, including, “I used to be alone, I didn’t have anyone in my life and I simply couldn’t keep in Los Angeles anymore and be alone, so I decided to maneuver to Europe. I talked to [Wood] and stated I used to be going to Europe and do you need to come there and she or he stated no, I’ve different plans. And I stated OK and I hung up the telephone and that was it.”
Wooden’s relationship with Beatty was notoriously tumultuous. In a never-published article she wrote for Girls Residence Journal, Wooden says of their relationship, “Our affair was a collision from begin to end. Whereas RJ by no means did specific hostility, Warren couldn’t cease and I contributed my share of fireworks too. In reality, we had been each so confused that we thought combating and hostility meant actual emotional honesty.”
After their cut up in 1964, Wooden struggled with some psychological well being points. Filming The Nice Rae took its toll on her and she or he tried suicide after filming wrapped, her daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner reveals within the documentary. However Gregson Wagner says she doesn’t suppose her mom actually needed to die, it was extra of a cry for assist — particularly as a result of proper after she took the sleeping drugs, she instantly requested for assist from Crowley, who was spending the night time at her home that night time.
“I don’t essentially take a look at that night time as a suicide try. It was actually a cry for assist. After she swallowed the drugs, she banged on Mart’s door so clearly, she needed to reside,” says Gregson Wagner.
After that, Wooden entered remedy — then known as “evaluation” — which is one thing she finally inspired Wagner to do as properly after they reconnected. He credit that with saving his life.
HBONatalie Wooden and Michael Caine
After her cut up from Beatty however earlier than her second marriage, Wooden was linked to a number of well-known males, together with singer Frank Sinatra, actor Henry Jaglom, actor Michael Caine, producer Arthur Loew Jr., Ladislav Blatnik, the shoe king of Venezuela, and actor David Niven Jr.
She additionally had a short dalliance with singer Elvis Presley in 1956, based on Bobbie Ann Mason’s ebook “Elvis Presley: A Life,” however the two didn’t have a lot of a connection.
Wooden Married Richard Gregson in 1969
HBONatalie Wooden and Richard Gregson
After a string of relationships with numerous actors, Wooden met producer Richard Gregson via their mutual pal, actor Robert Redford; Gregson was Redford’s agent on the time and Redford was greatest man at their marriage ceremony.
Wooden and Gregson dated for 2 years and had been married in Might 1969. They welcomed daughter Natasha in 1970 and the documentary says that was the downfall of their marriage — Wooden was so enamored together with her daughter and with being a mom that Gregson began to really feel like there was no room for him. He then had an affair with Wooden’s secretary. When she came upon, she kicked him out. Their divorce was finalized in 1972.
Wooden Remarried Wagner in 1972
Natalie Wooden And Robert Wagner
Wooden and Wagner reconnected simply as they had been each coming off splits from their respective spouses and so they remarried in July 1972. They welcomed daughter Courtney in 1974.
As a result of Gregson had left for his residence nation of England after his cut up from Natalie, Wagner adopted Natasha and she or he considers them each to be her father.
“I’ve two fathers, my organic father is Richard Gregson. I name him Daddy Gregson. My stepfather is Robert Wagner, who everybody known as RJ, and I name him Daddy Wagner,” she explains within the documentary.
The Wooden-Wagner family additionally generally hosted Wagner’s daughter Katie from his marriage to Marshall and Marshall’s two sons to whom Wagner was a stepfather, Peter and Joshua, from Marshall’s marriage to Stanley Donel. In reality, Joshua says within the documentary that he lived with Wooden and Wagner for some time and the wedding simply appeared to suit.
“After faculty, Natalie stated come and reside in our visitor home and I stayed there for years and that’s the place we grew to become actually shut,” says Joshua. “It gave the impression to be that they need to be collectively. This appeared proper.”
Wooden and Wagner had been married till her dying in 1981. He would go on to marry his Hart to Hart co-star Jill St. John, to whom he’s nonetheless married immediately. St. John helped him with the lack of Wooden as a result of she too had misplaced a partner pretty younger, and finally, the youngsters got here to just accept St. John of their father’s life. Gregson Wagner says she and St. John “talked about it in remedy” and it was “undoubtedly a course of,” however they’re all one large household now.
HBORobert Wagner, Jill St. John, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Katie Wagner, Courtney Wagner
Natalie Wooden: What Stays Behind airs Tuesday, Might 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Latino. It is going to be rebroadcast on Wednesday, Might 6 at midday ET on HBO and HBO Latino; on Might 6 at eight p.m. ET on HBO2, on Might 10 at 11:30 a.m. ET on HBO and HBO Latino, and Monday, Might 11 at 1:30 p.m. ET on HBO.
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