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When Jack Wagner Saw His 23-Year-Old Daughter Kerry for the First Time He Had No Idea about Their Blood Relation

Daniella Segell
Sep 24, 2021
10:00 A.M.

If you know anybody who doesn't believe in miracles, tell them Jack Wagner's story about the day he reconciled with his son who had briefly gone missing, as well as all of the other beautiful coincidences that led to Wagner's expanding family.

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Being a Hollywood star does not always mean that your life goes off without a hitch, and often the stars have storied personal lives that they keep from the public eye for different reasons. Jack Wagner is one of those people.

After having a family of his own and gaining family members who he never thought he would hear from again, Wagner experienced another miracle when he reconciled with his son after he went missing for five days.

Jack Wagner (Left) and his daughter Kerry Wagner (Right) | Photos: YouTube

Jack Wagner (Left) and his daughter Kerry Wagner (Right) | Photos: YouTube

JACK WAGNER

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Wagner was born in Washington, Missouri, to a car salesman and his wife. His father passed away in 1990, and Wagner spent his childhood years playing golf. He spent his teenage years becoming a pro-golfer.

Golf might seem like a stark departure from the stage career that he ended up having in his adulthood. However, the stage was always something Jack Wagner was interested in and took part in as an extracurricular activity.

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By the time he got to college and won a drama scholarship, he decided that golf would come second to drama as he had more control over what he did on stage rather than how he performed at golf.

He is most well-known for his roles on "General Hospital," "The Bold And The Beautiful," and "Melrose Place," as well as recording hit songs such as "All I Need" and "Lighting Up The Night." His most recent TV role has been in "When Calls The Heart." However, his role as a dad is one that he is very proud of.

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Jack Wagner is the father of three children, two boys, and one girl. His youngest son, Harrison, brought fear into the family when he went missing in 2016, but not before his sister, Kerry, dropped a bombshell on the family by showing up in 2012, 23 years after she was given up for adoption.

MARRIAGE

Wagner was first married to Kristina Wagner from 1993 to 2006. The pair shared two boys, Peter and Harrison. However, the marriage did not last very long, and the couple divorced after deciding that they were no longer compatible.

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While Wagner never married again, he began seeing Heather Locklear soon after he and Kristina got divorced, the pair have been together ever since but have never married and have expressed no desire to do so.

MISSING SON

Being the son of a Hollywood star is something that most people might think is glamorous and devoid of any troubles. However, the children of the stars know that reality can sometimes be much darker than that.

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For Harrison Wagner, Jack Wagner's youngest son, the reality of being a Hollywood star's son was that he would become addicted to drugs and alcohol, a dangerous habit that he would have trouble kicking.

The fact that he had such a strong support system and could get the help he needed was a blessing not unknown to the family. Unfortunately, though, in 2016, Harrison Wagner relapsed.

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Following his relapse, he went missing for five days. During that time, the entire family was extremely worried about him and did everything they could to find Harrison and get him the help he needed once again.

After a grueling five days, Jack Wagner tweeted that Harrison had been in touch with him and was 21 and in charge of his life. He then asked fans to share their struggles with the family because it was helpful to everyone.

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Wagner responded to several tweets about struggles with addiction, depression, and other mental illnesses. He let fans know that they could share their stories with him to face them together. Wagner revealed that his youngest son struggled with addiction much like himself when he was younger and said that he feared for his safety.

SURPRISE DAUGHTER

In the 1980s, Wagner was well on his way to becoming a household name and, as such, had women throwing themselves at him. One of these women is the mother of a daughter that he had never met, even though she was already 23 years old.

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After having a one-night fling with a woman in the 1980s, Wagner went about his ordinary life without giving much thought about it. However, nine months later, he got a phone call from that same woman.

She had phoned Wagner to let him know that she had just given birth to a baby girl but did not have the facilities to take care of her and was putting her up for adoption. The woman told Wagner that he was the father, and because of this, he tried everything he could to get custody of the baby girl but says it was out of his control.

Kerry and Jack Wagner at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2011 | Photo: Getty Images

Kerry and Jack Wagner at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2011 | Photo: Getty Images

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Twenty-three years later, at a concert in Florida, a young woman burst into Wagner's dressing room and threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic embrace. Wagner had no idea who the young woman was until she told him that her name is Kerry and that she is his daughter.

Kerry told her father how she hired private investigators to track down her biological parents after spending her life in foster care. Kerry also revealed that she talked to her birth mother for about a month before learning about her birth father.

(L-R) Harrsion Wagner, Kerry Wagner, Jack Wagner, and Peter Wagner at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2011 | Photo: Getty Images

(L-R) Harrsion Wagner, Kerry Wagner, Jack Wagner, and Peter Wagner at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2011 | Photo: Getty Images

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Kerry said she was afraid to ask about her birth father, but one day when she was flipping through a photo album with her birth mother, she was told who her birth father was. Wagner was delighted to be reunited with his daughter, and the two went on a five-day-long cruise together after having met to learn more about one another.

Ever since their meeting 23 years after Kerry was born, she and her father have been incredibly close, and she has become close with her siblings, too. Kerry has said that she didn't have siblings growing up but always wanted them, and being blessed with two brothers is something she is grateful for.

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