Nerine Kidd's Cause of Death Has Haunted William Shatner for Years

The 'Star Trek' star has been married four times over the course of his life, with Nerine being the actor's third wife.

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Published Sept. 25 2025, 2:30 p.m. ET

Some personal tragedies are impossible to forget. There are moments that define a person's life, giving them scars that never heal properly. It's hard enough for anyone to deal with these situations, but at least celebrities have to opportunity to raise awareness through their fame.

Actors, singers, and athletes can sometimes suffer through unspeakable grief, with some of them spending years preventing other people from experiencing the same fate as their loved ones.

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Seasoned performer William Shatner is so much more than what audiences have seen from him, thanks to Star Trek. Ever since the artist's third wife, Nerine Kidd, passed away, William has spent a lot of time honoring her life with purpose.

How did Nerine die? Here's what we know about the tragedy that changed the life of the Star Trek actor forever. In the middle of a busy Hollywood career, William always found a way to pay respects to his late partner.

William Shatner's wife died due to a tragic accident.

The tragedy of Nerine's death is remembered as one of the most devastating moments in William's life. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor's wife was found dead in the swimming pool behind their home.

Whenever a situation of this scale takes place, authorities have to perform an investigation in order to determine that no foul play was involved. Nerine's passing was eventually ruled an accident.

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Nerine had a history of alcoholism that was present throughout her entire relationship with William. The Star Trek star even recalled having conversations with Leonard Nimoy regarding his partner's condition.

The autopsy determined that Nerine was drunk at the time of her passing, leading to the moment in which she cracked two of her neck vertebrae with the bottom of the pool after diving.

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When William arrived to the mansion located in Studio City, he found his wife's lifeless body floating in the water. The moment would never leave the performer's head. William knew that his wife was struggling during that time, but he never thought such an accident would take place.

Nerine was only forty years old when she passed away. She was married to William for only two years before tragedy struck.

William Shatner constantly honored Nerine's legacy.

Nerine's passing was a wake-up call for William. He didn't want anyone else to feel the level of grief he had to deal with. The Star Trek icon created the Nerine Shatner Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating awareness related to alcoholism and addiction.

Few celebrities can create as positive and as impressive an impact as Captain Kirk's.

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What Was William Shatner’s Cause of Death? What To Know
Source: Mega

The actor eventually got married again. Despite some complicated setbacks, William and Elizabeth Anderson Martin have been together for more than twenty years, according to Closer Weekly.

Nerine's legacy lives on through the lives that the Nerine Shatner Foundation has changed. More than two decades after her passing, people still want to learn more about who she was and why she was such an important part of William's life.

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