Actress Natalie Wood‘s still anguished, grieving sister Lana Wood explosively confronted the late star’s ex-husband Robert Wagner — and the sensational showdown was all caught on tape!

In the bombshell encounter captured by acclaimed new podcast Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood, former Bond Girl Lana, now 72, pleaded with her former brother-in-law to talk to homicide investigators probing the mysterious death of her Oscar-winner sister. “Why won’t you speak to the detectives?” Lana charged. “Clear yourself if you can!”

But hard-hearted Robert, 88 — who has stonewalled all attempts by police to discuss his former wife’s death on Nov. 29, 1981 — callously refused. “Why would you even bring up anything like that?” he asked. “I have talked to everybody… I just can’t believe it.”

The shocking run-in is one of two times Robert was confronted on tape about his role in Natalie’s death. Both face-to-face meetings were captured on audio devices, and reproduced in chapter 12 of the 12-part audio documentary. The podcast is now available for download iTunes, and is the culmination of years of dogged investigative digging into the actress’ death.

As the fans know, Natalie mysteriously vanished from Robert’s yacht The Splendour during a pleasure cruise on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. Robert, the couple’s friend Christopher Walken, and the ship’s captain Dennis Davern were also on board.

natalie wood robert wagner
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Her death was initially ruled an accidental drowning, but in 2011 the case was reopened. Two years later, an supplemental autopsy report changed the cause of death to drowning and other undetermined factors.

Decades after Natalie’s death, Robert was officially named a person of interest in the case. L.A. Sheriff’s Detective Ralph Hernandez, who is part of the team probing Natalie’s death, spoke to Fatal Voyage in a world exclusive interview.

“We have a lot of evidence that tends to point to a very suspicious death and would certainly indicate the possibility of foul play,” he said. “The problem is, while we can prove the events that led up to the argument at the back of the boat, ultimately, we can’t prove how she ended up in the water.”

“Without [Robert’s] interview, without his cooperation, we may never get to that truth,” he added.