Rebellious Facts About Natalie Wood, The Tragic Star
Natalie Wood's secret traumas haunted her throughout her life, especially the inappropriate relationships she shared with older men in power. But in the end, fate had a horrible twist in store for her.
Just when her life seemed to find some much-needed stability, she passed in the most horrific way imaginable—a demise that remains a mystery to this day.
1. She Had A Disturbing Childhood
Although Natalie Wood was destined for Hollywood, her beginnings were anything but glamorous. Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, her loving Russian immigrant parents had undeniable dark sides. Having suffered through the Great Depression, Wood's father Nick had a fraught relationship with the bottle, and his addiction turned him from a tender protector into a violent aggressor. And that wasn't all.
2. She Had A Wild Mother
Wood had more than just her father to deal with. With her talent for manipulation, her mother Maria may have been even worse. With a skewed moral compass, Maria would purposefully spark her husband's temper. Not only that but her daughter Lana later called her a pathological liar. Leading the family with her flair for melodrama and bizarre superstitions, Maria did not provide her children with a stable upbringing.
Little did Wood know, however, this was only the beginning of the nightmare.
3. Her Fame Was Predicted
When a fortune-teller predicted Natalie Wood's future fame—that she would one day be "known throughout the world"—her mother clung to this information and ran with it. From then on, Maria turned into the most domineering stage mom imaginable. She became obsessed with getting Wood into the entertainment industry. Sadly, little Natalie didn't have much choice in the matter.
Dragged into the spotlight against her will, Wood's road to stardom was far more chilling than most people know.
4. She Wasn't Crazy About The Movies
There's a good chance that without her impertinent mother, Natalie Wood may never have become an actress. Although she possessed a natural talent for acting, she wasn't as keen on the movies as her mother was. Maria was the huntress who nailed down roles for her daughter, and Wood "just went along." However, once she got Wood a platform, that's when the true horror show began.
