Natalie Wood's sister claims Kirk Douglas sexually assaulted actress

The late Natalie Wood was sexually assaulted by Kirk Douglas when she was a teenager, her sister has claimed.

Lana Wood told how her older sibling was 17 and filming ‘The Searchers’ in 1955 when their mother, Maria Zakherenko, arranged a meeting for her with the ‘Spartacus’ star – who died last year aged 103 – and when the starlet went to the Los Angeles hotel suite being used by the actor, who was in his late 30s, she was allegedly attacked.

According to Lana, Maria, who was born in Russia, believed that “doors might be thrown open . . . with a nod of his famous, handsome head on her behalf” if Natalie met with Kirk, who was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants.

She wrote in her upcoming book ‘Little Sister’: “Natalie looked especially beautiful when Mom and I dropped her off that night at the Chateau Marmont. “It seemed like a long time passed before Natalie got back into the car and woke me up when she slammed the door shut.

“She looked awful. She was very dishevelled and very upset, and she and Mom started urgently whispering to each other. I couldn’t really hear them or make out what they were saying. Something bad had apparently happened to my sister, but whatever it was, I was apparently too young to be told about it.”

Lana was eight at the time and claimed her sister – who drowned in mysterious circumstances in November 1981 – only confided in her when they were adults, telling her of Kirk: “He hurt me, Lana. I was terrified, I was confused.”

But according to the writer, her mother told Natalie to “suck it up”, and she herself promised her sister not to disclose what had happened, though she insisted it was an open secret by the time the Lust For Life’ actor passed away.

She wrote: “With no one still around to protect, I’m sure she’ll forgive me for finally breaking that promise.”

Kirk’s son, actor Michael Douglas, 77, didn’t directly comment on Lana’s claims.

He simply said in a statement issued by his publicist: “May they both rest in peace.”