Shatner’s Heartbreak: Nerine Kidd’s Struggle and a Tragic Drowning
William Shatner’s third wife, Nerine Kidd, died in 1999 from an accidental drowning after a severe battle with alcoholism. Shatner described her as the love of his life, and he spent years seeking help for her, including visits to rehab facilities like Betty Ford. Following Nerine’s death, he founded the Nerine Shatner Memorial Fund to support women recovering from substance dependency. An autopsy showed her blood-alcohol level was well above the legal limit, and the LAPD investigated the circumstances of her death, which remains a defining moment in Shatner’s life as he later remarried and moved forward with his family.