Robert Wagner marked his son-in-law Barry Watson’s birthday with a rare family photograph — and a message that offered a glimpse into a bond shaped by more than four decades of shared love and loss.
“Join Jill and I in wishing our terrific son-in-law Barry Watson a Happy Birthday 🎉 Always fun times when you’re around-grateful for the laughs, the love and these unforgettable moments together,” Wagner wrote via Instagram on Thursday, April 23, featuring a photo of him and Watson, 52, and granddaughter Clover. “Cheers to another great year ahead!🎉 @realbarrywatson.”
Watson, known for his roles in 7th Heaven, What About Brian, Samantha Who?, Hart of Dixie and Gossip Girl, is married to Natasha Gregson Wagner. The couple wed in 2014 and share Clover.
Inside Robert Wagner’s Famous Family
The photograph captures a family whose shape was defined by tragedy. Natasha was born to Natalie Wood and Richard Gregson. Wood was married to Gregson from 1969 to 1972. She was married to Robert from 1957 to 1962, and after her divorce from Gregson, she married Robert a second time in 1972.
Though Robert is not Natasha’s biological father, they maintained a close bond after Wood’s death in 1981 — one that Natasha says deepened precisely because of the loss they shared.
“I was so lucky I had two dads who were deeply committed to raising me and helping me through,” Natasha told People in April 2016. “They were trying to pick up the pieces for us and stumble forward and find out what our life looked like after that.”
She continued, “I’m certain because my mom died, my relationship with my stepdad is way deeper than it would have been had she lived, because he had to be my mom and dad.”
Robert Wagner and Barry Watson Courtest of Robert Wagner/Instagram
Robert reflected on his relationship with Natasha, saying, “We’ve hung on to each other throughout the years and she means the world and all to me.”
The Switch actor has been married to Jill St. John since 1990. He celebrated his 96th birthday in February. Natasha shared an Instagram tribute to mark the occasion.
“My dad is 96 today. I’ve been so lucky to have him by my side all these years,” she wrote. “He is young at heart and older than I ever imagined he would be! Full of wisdom, love and good cheer. He’s funny as hell and as good as they get.”
Robert Wagner’s Daughter Described Life After Natalie Wood’s Death
Natasha described the change she observed in Robert after her mother’s death.
“After she died, when I would look at him from a distance, from my bedroom window walking into the house, there was a heaviness and a sadness to him that hadn’t been there before,” she said.
Robert also shares daughter Katie with Marion Marshall, to whom he was married from 1963 to 1971, and daughter Courtney with Wood.
Natasha said Robert always makes a point to tell her and her sisters he is “proud” of them. “He always told me that. He told me this once when we were having some therapy together. He said, ‘I never thought you would make it when your mom died,’ because I was so close to her. And so he’s always blown away that I am totally OK,” she told People in September 2025.
How the Wagners Turned Grief Into Something Beautiful
Natasha has spoken about the long work of navigating grief and finding meaning within it.
“I think that grief is a lifetime of work, but the fragrance is just one little beautiful area of my life that is about beauty and something positive,” she said. “Like alchemy, turning metal into gold. I turned my sadness and pain into beauty.”
She also praised her mother for the resilience she unknowingly passed on to her kids.
“She was a good teacher, even though I don’t think she knew she was teaching me anything,” Natasha notes. “She didn’t think, ‘I’m going to teach her how to survive my loss.’ But just those 11 years with her definitely taught me how to survive her loss. Because that strength and vulnerability that she had, she gave that to me.”
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