Iconic actor Robert Wagner turns 93 today! In a rare video, he gave a glimpse at his 90th birthday celebration with his grandkids.
The actor has five grandchildren, four of whom are "surrogates."
Robert opened up about his life on retirement and his quality time with his youngest offspring at 93.
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Robert Wagner, famous for his roles in "Broken Lance," "The Pink Panther," and "Prince Valiant, is celebrating his 93rd birthday today. He was a staple in 1950s Hollywood and has endeared many fans to him with his many roles.
Although he has now retired, his life is no less whole than when he was starring in movies and television shows. He has a wonderful family who never let life get boring for him. His family is uniquely built.
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Wagner took to Instagram this week to share what he has been doing in the days leading up to his 93rd birthday on February 10, 2023. He shared a video of himself and two grandchildren in front of a birthday cake in 2020.
The children helped him blow out the candles on the cake and smiled as Wagner cut the cake. In the caption, Wagner gushed:
"It was such a beautiful and wonderful night when the whole family was able to celebrate."
Wagner ended the post's caption by saying he hoped all his fans were doing well and staying safe. He then wished his followers a lovely day. Fans flocked to the comments section to send Wagner good wishes regarding the video.
Why Does Wagner Have "Surrogate" Grandkids?
Wagner has a beautiful family, which consists of five grandchildren. However, only one of those children is biologically related to Wagner, the others he calls "surrogates". His other grandchildren have been welcomed into his family through marriages.
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Wagner's daughter, Katie, welcomed her son, Riley John, in 2001, making him a grandfather for the first time. His other grandchildren are Cooper Mount, Oliver and Felix Watson, and Clover Watson.
Wagner never adopted his ex-stepchildren when he was married to their mother. Cooper Mount is the stepson of Wagner's ex-stepson, Joshua Donen. Oliver and Felix are the stepsons of Wagner's ex-stepdaughter, Natasha. Clover is Natasha's daughter.
Although he never legally adopted his ex-wife's children, Natasha shares a surname with Wagner. Her full name is Natasha Gregson Wagner, a name she has kept to this day and is proud of.
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Wagner was married four times, twice to Natalie Wood, and welcomed two daughters, Courtney and Katie. Katie's mother is Marion Marshall, and Courtney's mother is Natalie Wood. Courtney never married or had any children.
Despite his grandchildren not being biologically related to him, Wagner still loves them very much and shares a great relationship with each of them. He often shows them off on his social media pages. In January, he shared a photo of himself and his grandson, who came to visit him.
How Does Wagner Live Now?
Wagner is now 93 and happily retired. Although he loved his career in Hollywood, he has talked about how much he enjoys his retirement and spending time with his family whenever he wants to.
He still treats his ex-stepchildren like his own and loves his grandchildren very much. One photo he shared on Instagram was of himself and Natasha's daughter, Clover. The pair were in a pool, staring at a dog as they smiled.
In the caption, Wagner said Natasha and her family had been to visit him for the weekend, and he thought his fans would like to see the photo Natasha had taken of her ex-stepfather and her daughter.
Another photo he shared with Clover was on her tenth birthday last year. The picture showed the young girl smiling at the camera as Wagner held his arm around her and kissed her on the head. He said it was a kiss for a "special granddaughter."
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Wagner, who has been married to Jill St. John for 32 years, said that Clover's grandmother and grandfather loved her very much and wished her a wonderful day. He shared a photo of him and Clover smiling at the camera for her ninth birthday the year before last.
Wagner even shows his granddaughter off on social media when it's not a special occasion. Once he posted a photo of him gazing up at his granddaughter, smiling, and the caption read:
"How happy am I?"
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Now, Wagner is happily married to his wife of 32 years. For both of them, it was their fourth marriage, and it has been their longest-lasting. Although Wagner's wife, St. John, had no children of her own, she helped Wagner raise his children.
Courtney and Katie were seven when her mother passed away, and her half- and stepsisters were older than she. St. John stepped in as a maternal figure for all three girls when they spent time with Wagner.
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Although Katie, Courtney, and Natasha all had a hard time with Wood's death, St. John became someone they could lean on. Once, in 1982, St. John said:
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"I get along beautifully with [Wagner's] children."
Wagner and St. John have a 7.5-acre property in Aspen, which used to be a vacation spot for their family. However, in 2007, Wagner and St. John moved into the home permanently after Wagner retired.
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St. John has mentioned how blessed she feels to live in Aspen, surrounded by nature. She says she would not want to move elsewhere and loves her home. She even said that being surrounded by nature is something she believes prolongs one's life.
Although the tragic death of Wagner’s wife brought him and his current wife together, they have said they choose to focus on the good rather than the tragedy. A friend confirmed:
"They have that thing couples who enjoy each other have. They banter and finish each other's sentences."
The same friend admired the couple's consideration of one another. The friend continued: "They’re very much alike, they respect each other, and that's key to their lasting relationship." Wagner has said that when the time comes, he would like to be buried in Aspen.
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