It's been seven weeks since the untimely passing of Harrison Wagner, the son of General Hospital stars Kristina Wagner (Felicia Jones) and Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco Jones), and the latter has finally spoken publicly about the tragedy that rocked his family.
While preparing to board a flight to Vancouver, Canada, where he'll begin shooting the tenth season of When Calls the Heart, Wagner shared an Instagram video that addresses the loss of his son, who was 27 at the time of his death on June 6.
"Thank you all so much for the love and kindness that you've sent. I can't tell you how much it's meant to me," the actor shared. "I'm getting ready to head up to Vancouver to start season ten of When Calls the Heart. Beyond excited and grateful for that, so, thank you, also, for that. I'll be sending some behind-the-scenes footage this year, hopefully, that will make you laugh, and we can enjoy together. And again, thank you so much for the love and support you've sent me. A huge thank you. Sending it right back to you. So, we'll be in touch. Thanks."
In his caption for the video, Wagner wrote, "Thank you all so much for the love & support you've sent me, it's helped me more than you'll ever know."
Neither Jack nor Kristina has directly commented on the cause of their son's death, but a press release announcing the launch of a new scholarship fund at the New Life House Recovery Community (a sober living facility for men) in Harrison's honor reveals that he "ultimately lost his battle with addiction."
"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," the New Life House website states.
The organization added, "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."
In addition, the site shares that all funds donated will go toward helping pay rent, or a portion of rent, for young men who could not otherwise afford care at the New Life House facility.
Jack and Kristina Wagner met on the set of General Hospital and married each other in 1993. The pair divorced in 2006, but they continued to co-parent Harrison and their first son, Peter, who was born in 1990.
Jack Wagner has been playing the role of Bill Avery in Hallmark's When Calls the Heart since 2014. He's played GH's Frisco on-again, off-again since 1984.
How do you feel about Jack Wagner's message to fans regarding the love and support that he's received since the death of his son, Harrison? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
