# The Mystery of Natalie Wood - question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777 "2004-03-11T22:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@Peach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/1 "2004-03-11T22:19:04Z")
i missed the beginning of the movie when it is revealed that young Natalie is raped my a prominent actor (at the time) Who was it? ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/2 "2004-03-11T22:34:56Z")
There has been a lot of speculation about the identity of her rapist, a prominent actor-producer (allegedly), as well as the allegation that her mother allowed/arranged the rape to further her daughter’s career. But no definitive ID on the rapist so far. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/3 "2004-03-11T22:35:38Z")
I don’t think his name has ever been revealed but he was evidently an actor, producer, married, and still alive in 1990. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/4 "2004-03-11T22:47:47Z")
Does anyone know if this ever even happened in real life? I’ve been a fan of Wagner and Wood most of my life and I never heard of it until this movie. Wagner said once that he wouldn’t cooperate in any movie about Natalie because Hollywood believes that to make a movie interesting you have to inject conflict into it, and that he didn’t want to be a part of artificially portraying her life. He said she had a full and happy life, not troubled like has been portrayed. While I know he was her husband, and would therefore be more likely to take a more favorable view of the type of life she had, I wonder if the alleged rape isn’t really just a Hollywood fabrication. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/5 "2004-03-11T23:36:34Z")
The rape story has been around for years. Maybe **Eve** will pop in and give us some Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/6 "2004-03-11T23:42:28Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > While I know he was her husband, and would therefore be more likely to take a more favorable view of the type of life she had, I wonder if the alleged rape isn’t really just a Hollywood fabrication. Not to say it’s 100% accurate but the rape story is in[her biography](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609809571/qid=1079048333/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-4204563-6662533). Highly detailed too (except for the name of the rapist), from what I hear. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/7 "2004-03-12T06:13:14Z")
Thanks, EJsGirl and Jeff. Looks there must be something to it after all. Wonder how I missed it? ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/8 "2004-03-12T07:39:47Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > There has been a lot of speculation about the identity of her rapist, a prominent actor-producer (allegedly), as well as the allegation that her mother allowed/arranged the rape to further her daughter’s career. > > But no definitive ID on the rapist so far. That sounds like the bit in The Godfather where the young actress, obviously having been violated by the sleazy director, is being led out by her mother in front of Tom Hagen. (There to negotiate a part for the Sinatra-type character whos name escapes me.) Probably no connection, it just came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![MrSarcasticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrSarcasticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSarcasticus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-natalie-wood-question/233777/9 "2004-03-13T06:36:15Z")
A few people on the IMDB boards whispered Kirk Douglas or Gregory Peck. Peck seemed to be dismissed out of hand, given Wood’s later praising statements about him, according to this user.