Robert Wagner celebrated a special milestone for his wife, the woman who has shared his life for decades. On August 19, the 96-year-old Hart to Hart star marked Jill St. John’s 86th birthday with a sweet throwback photograph and a heartfelt message about how grateful he feels to have her by his side.
According to People, the photo showed the longtime couple standing together beside a lake, with Wagner wrapping an arm around his wife. He wished St. John a happy birthday and expressed how blessed he feels to love her and experience life with her. After more than three decades of marriage, the simple tribute offered fans a touching glimpse at one of classic Hollywood’s enduring relationships.
Robert Wagner’ Celebrates As His Wife Jill St. John Turns 86
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Wagner and St. John married in 1990, but their connection stretches back much further. They first met in the 1950s while both worked as contract players at Fox. Their lives followed different paths for many years before they reconnected in late 1981. A friendship soon developed into a romance, and the pair eventually built a life together.
St. John had already created an impressive Hollywood career of her own. She became especially well known for playing Tiffany Case opposite Sean Connery in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, becoming the franchise’s first American Bond girl. Her résumé also includes decades of film and television work, making her and Wagner a couple whose careers reach back to Hollywood’s golden studio era.
Their Love Story Has Lasted More Than Three Decades
The couple’s relationship grew during a difficult chapter in Wagner’s life. St. John, who had known Natalie Wood since childhood, sent Wagner flowers and a sympathy message after Wood’s death in November 1981. Wagner and St. John crossed paths again at a dinner party about two months later, and their friendship deepened from there. By 1990, they had decided to marry.
Now, 36 years after their wedding, Wagner’s birthday tribute shows the affection between them remains strong. For fans who remember him from Hart to Hart, It Takes a Thief, and countless film roles, and St. John from her glamorous Bond era, seeing the couple celebrate another milestone together carries plenty of nostalgia. Their careers began when Hollywood looked very different, yet they have continued sharing their lives through decades of change. At 96 and 86, respectively, Wagner and St. John have another birthday—and another year together—to celebrate.