Who Was Natalie Wood’s Other Husband, Richard Gregson?

Lauren Novak May 30, 4:20 pm

(Original Caption) Close up, Actress Natalie Wood poses with her escort Richard Gregson, in the lobby of the Sherry Netherland hotel, November 9th. — Getty Images

Natalie Wood was just 43 when she died tragically on November 29, 1981, and the mystery surrounding her final moments has kept the public fascinated for decades. But while many know the story about her two marriages to fellow actor Robert Wagner, fans may not realize she was also married to another man. Before reuniting with Wagner for a second time, Wood married Richard Gregson, a British screenwriter and agent.

So, who exactly was Richard Gregson? Born in Poona, British India, in 1930, Gregson carved out a successful career behind the scenes in the film industry. He worked as a talent agent, producer, and screenwriter and eventually helped launch the careers of some major names. He even received an Oscar nomination for co-writing The Angry Silence in 1960.

Though he preferred to stay out of the spotlight, he moved in high-profile circles, and his professional success brought him from London to Los Angeles, where his path crossed with Wood’s. At the time, Gregson already had three children from his first marriage to Sally Ronaldson.

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The two met in the mid-’60s, a few years after Wood’s first divorce from Wagner. By then, she had taken a step back from acting, unsure of her place in Hollywood. Her relationship with Gregson offered a sense of stability, and they married on May 30, 1969. The following year, Wood gave birth to their daughter, Natasha, who would later follow in her mother’s footsteps as an actress.

Portrait of actress Natalie Wood as she prepares for her wedding to Richard Gregson, circa 1969

Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Unfortunately, the marriage began to unravel not long after Natasha was born. Wood filed for divorce on August 4, 1971, citing irreconcilable differences, and it was finalized in April 1972. In her later interviews, she spoke kindly of Gregson, but it was clear their paths had simply drifted apart, and Wood had seemingly never gotten over her romance with Wagner. She would soon reconnect with Wagner, and the two remarried in July 1972, blending their families and raising Natasha together.

Gregson, for his part, returned to England and continued working in the film industry. He later married journalist Julia Gregson in 1984, and they had a daughter, Poppy, who became a novelist. Though his time with Wood was short-lived, he remained proud of their daughter and respectful of her legacy.

Gregson died on August 21, 2019, at the age of 89, after battling Parkinson’s disease. His name may not be as well known as some of Wood’s other co-stars or companions, but his role in her life was deeply significant.