. Kirk Douglas was a huge star in 1953-1954, Natalie Wood was a minor starlet. A rapist. As you will read below, even Robert Downey Jr. in Gawker brought up these same accusations. “To Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their living grandfather, and to his wife, Anne, a wonderful husband.”, He called his late father “a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”. Douglas is known for classic films like “Spartacus,” “Lust for Life” and “Ace in the Hole” — and as the father of famed actor Michael Douglas. He is NOT a hero. “Have you found this true?”, Douglas thumped in anger, “An actor is supposed to immerse himself in the role!”, At the time, Douglas — who turns 100 years old on Friday — was the biggest star on the planet, with a range that blew away audiences, whether he was wielding a sword against the Romans as “Spartacus” or crying in anguish as Vincent van Gogh in “Lust for Life.”. Her mother drove her to the hotel and waited in the car. This was the common practice in 1950s and Natalie was taught to play the game. "Kirk's life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come", However, his big break came in 1949 when he starred as an ambitious boxer in the film noir classic "Champion," which earned him his first of three Oscar nominations for Best Actor. He is survived by his wife of 65 years (married May 29, 1954) Anne Buydens, their son Peter Douglas, two sons from his first marriage -- Michael and Joel Douglas -- and seven grandchildren. “Alfred Hitchcock said in an interview once that it’s very hard for the romance on screen not to carry over into the private lives of the actors,” Cavett said coyly. A friend of Spangler’s then informed police that the missing woman had secretly been three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. The film’s other co-star was Downey Jr. Recall how Himmmm claimed Wood’s “friends and family knew the truth” about the rape. One strap was ripped and the cryptic, seemingly unfinished note was inside. Friends said she would “shudder” every time she heard Douglas’s name. He laughed at her as she fell down, her legs so wobbly and weak. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Lindsey Vonn poses in red bikini for no-filter Instagram photo, Tracee Ellis Ross to receive Fashion Icon Award at 2020 E! Benner’s new wife, Lynn, claimed that she was with him during the time of Spangler’s disappearance. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. https://abc.com/shows/world-news-tonight/video/vdka16205220. For all the hubub, it seems unlikely a star – even Robert Downey Jr. – would make accusations this recklessly after having his real name associated with his anonymous handle. “They must have had one of their usual explosions and she rushed out,’’ wrote Douglas. Douglas said Bacall, who would later change her first name to Lauren, teased the impoverished student about the shabby, oversize overcoat he wore — so she got him a new one. 5,140, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved When it was over he told her “If you tell anyone it will be the last thing you do.” The attack was so violent that Natalie started bleeding and had to go the hospital. She was bleeding everywhere, with a battered face. When she was fifteen years old Natalie was raped by an older actor. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," Kirk's son, Michael Douglas, wrote in a statement shared to social media. The legendary actor died at the age of 103. Screen legend Kirk Douglas has passed away at the age of 103. Rumors about Douglas raping Wood have been around for years , but Himmmm’s cred within the blog as a Hollywood insider , the level of detail in his story, and his insinuation that he is Downey Jr. all lent his claim a certain standing, at least on the site. Sophie reported that Spangler wasn’t carrying any money when she left. He was a sexual predator and possible brutal rapist (of Natalie Wood and others), possible murderer (Jean Spangler) Death does not erase crimes. He opened the door to find the distraught actress. Kirk Douglas, seen here with his wife, Anne, in 1969, has died. Mine was not to question why; mine was just to get through that window.’’. His acting career in the US spanned seven decades. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. When it came to sex, Douglas admits he looked at it as if he were on a big game safari in Africa. Then he threw down on the bed and raped her. He remained in the public spotlight well into his old age, if not as an actor then as a producer, author, and blogger. And remember, she’s NOT in on this so don’t blame or interrogate her. When she got to the room Kirk gave Natalie a drink and told her he liked “young girls”. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Police received reports saying Spangler was sighted in Palm Springs, California, with Davy Ogul, who disappeared only two days after Spangler. “I didn’t question it. Your California Privacy Rights Natalie was traumatized by the assault and spent years in therapy. . She was quite upset and we chatted for about 10 minutes. Your Ad Choices Himmmm started with O’Neal, lamenting “the HELL he’s caused me and so many other” (O’Neal and Downey Jr. co-starred in a 1989 movie) and claiming O’Neal had managed “to piss off Steven Speilberg, Aaron Spelling, Tippi Hedren, Brian Depalma, Robert Evans, Charlie Bludhorn, Lew Wasserman, and about 90% of the then-powerful William Morris Agency.”, Himmmm’s initial comment was well received by other commenters. “As I look back, I realize that somehow I was attracted to women who were neurotic,” he said. The Douglas Foundation, created in 1964 by Douglas and his wife Anne Beydens Douglas, also doles out dollars to Westwood’s Sinai Temple and Culver City’s Kirk Douglas Theater, a restored venue. ", Kirk Douglas at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Nov. 16, 1982. He was nothing like his screen image. So the idea is Wagner knew about the attack on her mom and grew close enough to Downey Jr. after working with him to vent about it. So basically, no real evidence or reliable soruce on the identity or the rapist. L.A. police continued to search for Spangler for years, spreading photos of her around the nation in an attempt to track down any clues about her disappearance. . The role cemented Douglas' steely image, and with his distinctive raspy voice and piercing eyes he continued to take on intense, often cocky, characters in his films. Kirk Douglas celebrated his 103rd birthday in 2019 and has never been charged with a crime. This was the purported Kirk Douglas-Natalie Wood story. Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas was always a pretty charitable guy — and that didn’t end with his death earlier this month. …Her mom said she must have made the actor mad and offended him. Because it wasn’t Kirk Douglas that’s why. Strange that he had Ms. Wood sign one of the steppingstones in his garden alongside many other of his famous actor friends (see 45 seconds into 2012 interview with anchor David Muir). Over the next few years, sightings were reported throughout California, Arizona, and Texas, and even Mexico, but none could be verified. Kirk Douglas celebrated his 103rd birthday in 2019 and has never been charged with a crime. Douglas opened his little black book and ticked off some of the greatest names to grace the silver screen. He had invited her to his hotel room for an audition. It began with his English teacher, a Mrs. Livingston, who seduced him when he was 14, he said. Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam to Jewish immigrant parents from present-day Belarus. Others were more skeptical, like this one, which read, “The Kirk Douglas/Natalie Wood story is well known. Our sister site Jezebel this week speculated and relayed the speculation of others that Himmmm might be Downey Jr. He delivered, laying out three long postings in page three of the comments (part 1, part 2, part 3.) He was once quoted as saying "I've made a career of playing sons of b---hes.". Before the marriages, and in between, the man born Issur Danielovitch to a poor Jewish family in Amsterdam, NY, was unquenchable. No mention was ever made of her nocturnal visit.’’, “I looked at something and BANG! It would be another two decades before the man who still commands a standing ovation when he enters a room would finally admit to his infidelities. Douglas dished about some of Tierney’s odd habits — including insisting that he visit her by climbing into the window of her Hollywood home and mount her when she wasn’t expecting it. Natalie claimed she was raped in by actor Kirk Douglas. SO SO SO SO SO much utter respect for you and your cojones to say what you’ve said.” Or this one, reading, “All I can say is a big THANK YOU … I can only speculate on your identity, but if you are who most people think you are, I am happy that you have chosen to be one of us here at this site.