William Shatner got his breakthrough with the sci-fi series Star Trek, where he played Captain Kirk. He has since become a global icon, forever cementing his place in pop culture history. The actor has also been a major public figure, making several appearances at events, conventions, and has been vocal about his experiences.
Shatner has been married four times. His third wife, Nerine Kidd, was found dead back in 1999. Kidd had reportedly been a victim of alcoholism all her life, and there were reports of alcohol found in her system after her death. Shatner was reportedly so traumatized by her passing that he even got s*icidal thoughts.
William Shatner opened up about one of the darkest periods of his life following Nerine Kidd’s death
William Shatner may be best known for his role in Star Trek, but he has since been synonymous with many prominent characters. He played the titular police detective in T.J. Hooker, and played Denny Crane in the legal drama Boston Legal, for which he received an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award, and multiple nominations.
Shatner has also been a noted public personality. He regularly appeared at conventions related to Star Trek, engaged with fans, and sometimes even clashed with them. He was the oldest man to go to space back in 2021, when he was a traveller on Blue Origin’s spaceflight along with Jeff Bezos. His record was beaten by Ed Dwight in 2024.
However, it has not all been glitz and glory for Shatner for the past ninety-three years. His third wife, Nerine Kidd, lost her life in 1999, found at the bottom of their home swimming pool. Shatner was reportedly devastated by the death, to the point where he even had dark and s*icidal thoughts. He said in his memoir (via AOL),
My grief was overwhelming. This was the type of pain that makes you think either I’m simply going to die or I’m going to kill myself…I found her in our pool and lifted her out of the water. The emergency responders rushed to the house, but there was nothing that could be done. I saw her body lying there in the moonlight.
Shatner revealed that his wife, Kidd, suffered from alcoholism and could never beat it, despite undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.
William Shatner said that Leonard Nimoy warned him about Nerine Kidd’s alcoholism
William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy shared an inconsistent friendship after starring in Star Trek as Captain Kirk and Spock, respectively. While they seemed to be on good terms at times, Nimoy reportedly stopped talking to Shatner near the end of his life, which the Boston Legal star addressed in his memoir.
However, Leonard Nimoy reportedly looked out for his friend and co-star when he married his third wife, Nerine Kidd, who passed away in 1999. William Shatner mentioned that after he married Kidd, Nimoy called him to warn him about her alcoholism.
He said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald that Nimoy gave him a call and said,
He said just one sentence, ‘Bill, you do know that Nerine is an alcoholic.’ I’m not sure what Leonard expected me to say. ‘I know she is,’ I told him. ‘But I love her.’ Leonard didn’t speak for a minute, and then he said, sadly, ‘Well, Bill, then you are in for a rough ride.’
A recovering alcoholic himself, Leonard Nimoy reportedly also tried to help Nerine Kidd with her problems and even took her to rehab. But none seemed to work, and she ultimately succumbed to her affliction.
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