Robert Wagner, 96, marked his stepdaughter’s birthday with a rare public photograph that quickly drew attention for the family resemblance it revealed.
The “Austin Powers” actor shared the image on Instagram on Sept. 29 to celebrate Natasha Gregson Wagner’s 56th birthday. In the photo, taken at a restaurant, Natasha grins at the camera with a brunette bob and bangs that recall her late mother’s iconic look. Wagner sits beside her in a black suit jacket and black shirt, smiling for the shot.
“Please join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful daughter, Natasha,” he wrote on Instagram. “Jill [Wagner’s wife] and I are so proud of the woman you are and the joy, laughter, and love you bring into our lives. We love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays.”
Natasha was born in 1970 to Natalie Wood and British producer Richard Gregson, her first husband. After Wood and Wagner remarried in 1972, Natasha was legally adopted by the actor. She was just 11 years old when Wood drowned in 1981 during a boating trip with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
Despite the tragedy that defined her childhood, Natasha has spoken about the support system that surrounded her. In comments to the outlet last month, she described how both her biological father and her stepfather prioritized her wellbeing. “Luckily I had these two men, Daddy Gregson and Daddy Wagner, who came together and rose to the occasion and completely put me first,” she said. “They got me into therapy right away and I had that same amazing therapist here in Beverly Hills until my 20s,” she added.
Wagner’s own family tree extends across multiple marriages. He and Wood shared daughter Courtney, now 52. From his second marriage to actress Marion Marshall, he has daughter Katie, 62. He has been married to actress Jill St. John since 1990.
The birthday post arrives after years of public scrutiny surrounding Wood’s death, which was initially ruled an accident but has remained a source of controversy. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department amended Wood’s death certificate in 2012, changing the cause from drowning to “drowning and other undetermined factors.”
Detective Ralph Hernandez named Wagner a person of interest in 2018 following interviews with witnesses who claimed Wood had been arguing with her husband at the edge of their boat before she disappeared. However, the department cleared Wagner in May 2022, with Lt. Hugo Reynaga stating that “all leads in the Natalie Wood case have been exhausted, and the case remains an open, unsolved case,” Reynaga added that if new leads surface, the case would be reassigned for investigation.
Wood’s sister, Lana Wood, has maintained a different view. In a 2021 interview with The Post, she expressed her belief that Wagner bore responsibility for her sister’s death. “I don’t believe it was premeditated,” Lana said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t think he did it. Of course he did!”
The Instagram birthday tribute represents one of the increasingly rare public glimpses into Wagner’s relationship with Natasha, who has carved out her own path in the entertainment industry while periodically reflecting on her famous lineage and complicated family history.
Wagner and Wood’s romantic history spanned decades, beginning with their first marriage in 1957, which ended in divorce in 1962, then their reunion and remarriage in 1972 that lasted until her death.
