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Actress Joanna Pettet Dies at 83, Remembered for “Casino Royale”

7/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Joanna Pettet died on July 7, 2026, at Temecula Valley Hospital, California, aged 83.
Friend Pam DuBois said the death fell on the 31st anniversary of her son Damien Cord’s 1995 death at age 26.
She starred as Kay Strong in *The Group* (1966), Mata Bond in *Casino Royale* (1967), played Janet Baines on *Knots Landing* (1983-84), and was one of the last to see Sharon Tate alive on August 8, 1969.

History

Historical Context

Natalie Wood, a child-star turned Hollywood icon, drowned on November 29 1981 at age 43 while aboard her husband Robert Wagner’s yacht near Santa Catalina Island. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled accidental drowning, but conflicting witness statements led the case to be reopened in 2011 and Wagner named a person of interest in 2018, illustrating how celebrity deaths fuel prolonged forensic and media scrutiny.

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Story summary

Joanna Pettet died on July 7, 2026, at Temecula Valley Hospital, California, aged 83.
Friend Pam DuBois said the death fell on the 31st anniversary of her son Damien Cord’s 1995 death at age 26.
She starred as Kay Strong in *The Group* (1966), Mata Bond in *Casino Royale* (1967), played Janet Baines on *Knots Landing* (1983-84), and was one of the last to see Sharon Tate alive on August 8, 1969.

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