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Exactly three years ago, Hallmark Channel star Jack Wagner posted a sweet birthday tribute to his son, Harrison, alongside a family photo of himself and his ex-wife, “General Hospital” actress Kristina Wagner, with their youngest child, who was turning 25 that day. But on December 1, 2022, Harrison’s birthday has become a difficult day for the famous parents, following their son’s tragic death in June. Fans have rallied around the former couple in the months since, and are flooding the family’s online tributes, including Kristina’s heartbreaking Instagram post in which she shares her grief as a bereaved mother.
Kristina Wagner Gives Fans Insight Into Her Grief & Addresses Fellow Bereaved Parents
On June 6, Harrison was found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot. In July, Jack and Kristina issued a statement saying that their son had struggled for years with drugs and alcohol, and “ultimately lost his battle with addiction.” Together, they established a fund in Harrison’s honor to “help other young men get help for their addiction that would not otherwise be able to afford it.”
In the early morning hours of December 1, Kristina opened up about her grief on what would have been Harrison’s 28th birthday.
“Sometimes I feel like a pinned butterfly,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a video of Harrison joyfully dancing in the middle of a street. “There’s no second chance. There’s no see-him-again. There’s no nothing. He’s not coming back. It’s final. But life goes on. How do I spend the rest of my own without Harrison in it? What does it mean to be ‘all right’ after the death of your child, your blood? The pain will never go away.”
“Today is Harrison’s birthdate,” Kristina continued. “I had the privilege to know him for 27 incredible years. Harrison was larger than life, but beneath his commanding presence was vulnerability and compassion. He understood his own defects and worked hard to turn them around, to strengthen his positive attributes. He was a good listener and stood up for others when they couldn’t speak for themselves. He is missed. Happy Birthday, Harrison.”
Kristina ended her post with a message for other parents enduring similar grief, writing, “To all bereaved parents: May you find peace. Let’s stick around and see what’s in store for our extraordinary lives.”
Fans have flooded Kristina’s post with gratitude for her vulnerability along with messages of love and support.
One fan wrote, “When you watch a show for so long, the people on them feel like a part of your extended family. When he passed, I cried for you all. When I watch you now and know what’s happening in your heart, I can’t help but get emotional. I am so terribly sorry for your families loss.”
Another woman said that she could relate to the grief Kristina, Jack and their oldest son, Peter, are experiencing, writing, “Kind and warm wishes to you and Jack and Peter, Kristina… your pain is familiar to many of us, unspeakable and wrenching. My intelligent and talented brother’s death crushed my mother’s heart, the light in her eyes went out for nearly a decade, I so understand what your family is going through.”
“Sending you, Jack and Peter so much love today,” wrote one dad. “No one understands like us Angel parents. It’s my 19th holiday without our son. It does get better as time goes on. But one thing people don’t understand we’re sad everyday but in the sadness we can still experience great joy.”
The Wagners’ older son, Peter, also posted an emotional Instagram tribute to his brother on his birthday.
“Happy Birthday to the best brother anyone could ever have..loved by countless, your presence lit up rooms everywhere you went,” Peter wrote. “How you inspired others, and oozed with compassion, ambition, enchantment, vulnerability, and self confidence. You were larger than life itself.”
He continued, “Your spirit is divine and you lift me up every day. Your words ‘I got you bro’ are everything to me and I feel you looking after me, mom, and dad. I will be strong for you. As you were for me.”
Jack Wagner Has Thanked Fans for Their Ongoing Support
Though Jack had not publicly addressed Harrison’s birthday at the time of publication, he has previously thanked fans for their concern and support as his family grieves their loss.
On July 22, as he was about to board a plane for Vancouver, Canada, to begin filming the 10th season of Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart,” the actor posted a video thanking fans for their love since Harrison’s death, writing “it’s helped me more than you’ll ever know.”
In the posted video, Jack said, “Thank you all so much for the love and kindness that you’ve sent.” He added that he was grateful to be able to return to filming the show, which gave him something to be “excited” about.
The actor has kept busy by filming multiple projects over the last several months. He posted on November 15 that season 10 of “When Calls The Heart” had just wrapped filming, and he’s also appearing in two Christmas movies. He’s part of the cast of Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix movie “Falling for Christmas,” which debuted on November 10, and he’s in Hallmark Channel’s “A Big Fat Family Christmas,” premiering on December 2.
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