The massive 1980s daytime TV romance that was hidden from everyone until a surprise pregnancy exposed it

Jack and Kristina met on the set of the smash-hit soap opera General Hospital in 1984, when she was hired to portray his character Frisco Jones' love interest, Felicia Cummings. 

Their characters tied the knot in 1986 and 1990, and during their time on set, the duo were slowly falling in love with each other. Meanwhile, Kristina had previously been married to Randy Malandro until their split in 1985.

"Jack and I were paired up, and there was chemistry, on camera and off camera," Kristina said on Oprah: Where Are They Now? 

"Being thrown together on set in a romantic way, I think it was inevitable. I don't know how you could avoid it. And Jack’s fun and an entertaining guy…engaging, flamboyant and big. He’s a fun person to be around."  

In 1990, Jack and Kristina stunned fans when they dropped the major bombshell that they were in love and expecting a baby together. 

The actress was pregnant with their eldest son, Peter, at the time, and they welcomed him in September of that year. Three years later, the pair married in a private ceremony at Lake Tahoe, and expanded their family with the arrival of their second son, Harrison, in 1995. 

For years, they were the golden couple of the soap scene; that is, until Jack and Kristina endured a rough patch in their marriage in 2001, and separated. Despite reconciling three years later, the couple ended things for good in 2005.

The soap opera staples finalised their divorce in 2006, and Kristina’s outlook on life was forever changed. "I realised that I really needed to figure out what was going on with me in order to move forward," she said on Oprah: Where Are They Now? 

"It's easy to lose yourself when you're only in your young 20s, and you're just doing what's expected of you and not really thinking about your own needs." Despite the fear and uncertainty she faced, getting a divorce from Jack ended up being "the best thing" for their family. 

"The divorce was the best thing that could have happened to me and for my children, as well, because I don't think I was being a very good mother at the time," she explained. "I had to deal with myself first because we ultimately have to take care of ourselves before we can help others, right?"

After splitting from Kristina, Jack dated actress Heather Locklear from 2007 to 2011, until they called off their engagement. He then married musician Michelle Wolf in 2025 after four years together.

Instead of disappearing from each other’s lives, Jack and Kristina worked on their friendship for the sake of their sons, and became expert co-parents, as the Melrose Place actor shared with Parade. 

"I think we have a deep love for one another. I love her to death, and I think she feels the same way," he said.

"The fact that we're not married really doesn't change that. That's what it is. We love each other, respect each other and have gotten past what didn't work and now really just appreciate each other for who we are."

Jack and Kristina stunned their die-hard fans in 2018 when she joined the second season of his hit show, When Calls the Heart, bringing them back into each other's orbit. 

While Jack portrayed Bill Avery in the series, Kristina played Nora Avery, his character's estranged wife. "I got a phone call from Jack saying, ‘What do you think? Would you like to come work with us up in Vancouver and be a part of this show?'" Kristina recalled on Oprah: Where Are They Now?

The blonde beauty added that working with her ex-husband was "so much easier" now, as she could "go on set and establish my boundaries and my needs and my wants and get through these scenes and, you know, work with him as a professional actress rather than a girlfriend or a wife."

"It’s really important. It’s fun. We’re having fun." Jack admitted that while their dynamic was awkward to begin with, they eventually slipped into their old ways and found their chemistry again. 

"The first day, I must say, it was a little awkward at the beginning," he told Parade. "We’re not Frisco and Felicia – this is a whole new deal here, right? It’s gotten a lot more comfortable; it’s really great to collaborate on the material. I find it to be like a new ride, and I’m really grateful for it." 

He added to Us Weekly that the duo were "very good friends", "very present parents", and still loved each other "very much".

The exes came together in 2022 to mourn the loss of their youngest son, Harrison, who passed away on June 6 at just 27 years old. His body was discovered in a parking lot in Los Angeles, and he was declared dead at the scene. 

Harrison's cause of death was listed as an accidental overdose caused by fentanyl and alprazolam toxicity. Jack and Kristina described Harrison as "a bright, exuberant young man whose smile lit up any room he was in," in a statement shared after his death.

They also announced the creation of the Harrison Wagner Scholarship Fund two months later, which would be used to help young men pay for care at a sober living facility called New Life House.

"He has left behind many men and family members who loved him deeply. 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."