She Finally Spoke Out — What Kristina Wagner Said on Her Son’s 31st Birthday Breaks Everyone’s Heart
On December 1st, General Hospital star Kristina Wagner (Felicia) posted on Instagram to mark the birthday of her son, Harrison, who passed away on June 6, 2022, from an accidental drug overdose. Harrison was just 27 at the time of his death.
This year, she shared two photos: one of Harrison as an adult, opening presents, and one of her son at the age of 11 with his birthday cake adorned with action figures. “Opening birthday presents was a thing!” she wrote. “It was always entertaining to watch Harrison and hear what he would say next.”
Healing Process
Wagner explained that these social media posts are an important part of her grieving process. “Today, December 1, marks his 31st birthday,” she said. “Posting this is a type of ritual for me. I think rituals are essential for healing. Grief is a solitary issue that I can’t face alone. I know I have made several posts about my grief journey with Harrison for three years, but somehow, it keeps him present. It’s one of my many rituals.
“On a lighter note, Harrison would love the attention, which I loved about him,” the actress added. “The forever social butterfly. Happy Birthday, dear one. I know, with certainty, you are always with me.” She then closed her post with a quote from English author and poet Eden Phillpotts: “The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
Wagner debuted as Felicia Cummings on GH back in September 1984. She and her former leading man, Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco), who were married from 1993-2006, shared two sons, Peter (born in 1990) and Harrison (born in 1994).
As she marked her 40th anniversary with the show in 2024, two years after Harrison’s passing, she was candid in an interview with Soap Opera about the challenges of starring on the soap while also raising her two young sons. “I have memories of sitting in my dressing room, talking to my mom on the phone and crying because my boys were home with a babysitter and I had to wait and do my scenes later; I was just sitting in my dressing room waiting. Back then, it was just a lot of sitting around and waiting, and that was very frustrating.
And, you know, I can go into that headspace and say, ‘If only I had been there for them more, things today would be different.’ But that’s toxic thinking. It’s always important to be forgiving of oneself, you know? You can’t live in that headspace.”
After Harrison’s death, his parents established The Harrison Wagner Scholarship Fund to help those struggling with addiction.
A statement on the fund’s website reads, “The Harrison Wagner Scholarship Fund was created by Jack Wagner and Kristina Wagner in honor of their son, Harrison Wagner. Harrison was a bright, exuberant young man whose smile lit up any room he was in.
He has left behind many men and family members who loved him deeply. We are heartbroken that he ultimately lost his battle with addiction, and we hope that Harrison’s memory will live on through this scholarship and will help other young men get help for their addiction that would not otherwise be able to afford it.”
