Michael Reagan, Son of Former President, dies at 80

Michael Reagan, the oldest son of former President Ronald Reagan and iconic actress Jane Wyman, has died at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.

The announcement was made by the Reagan family through the Young America’s Foundation.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Michael Edward Reagan,” the family said. “Michael was and will always remain a beloved husband, father, and grandpa. Michael was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 4th, surrounded by his entire family in Los Angeles, California. Our hearts are deeply broken as we grieve the loss of a man who meant so much to all who knew and loved him.

“We appreciate your prayers and ask that you would respect our family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

Michael was adopted by the Reagans just three days after birth and described himself as a born-again Christian.  He devoted much of his book, “Twice Adopted,” to his faith. Growing up the son of famous actors and then an iconic president, he said he didn’t truly find his identity until he found it in Christ.

His book detailed how, after the Reagans divorced, he was raised by Wyman alone, and sliding into the Hollywood culture, easily fell prey to abuse. He spared few details about how, as a child, he was forced to participate in pornographic photos and was sexually abused. His account, written some 22 years ago, echoes today with revelations of predatory actions and sexual abuse against minors and adults by leading Hollywood figures.

At the time of his book release, he told Fox News, “I have written this book because I want God to use my past and the painful things I’ve gone through to bring help and healing to other people.”

He soon became an advocate of stricter background checks on daycare workers and protections for children in Hollywood.

“There are no cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic barriers to abuse,” Reagan wrote. “If a rich kid from Beverly Hills was vulnerable, then every kid in our society is at risk — including your kids.”

He went on to urge churches to thoroughly vet their daycare and children’s church workers. “There’s a chance that somewhere in your church you might have some, so churches really need to do background checks to prevent them from working with your kids. [Parents] need to do drive-by check. Parents can’t just drop off their kids and think they have a babysitter service.”

He stated the only relief he found from the abuse was when he would spend time with his father, Ronald, at his Malibu ranch. “He was always in prayer for our family,” he told CBN in 2024.

Michael was a “steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy,” stated the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in a release. “Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” it said.

Michael stated, concerning finding shelter from abuse in his father’s loving presence, “There was nothing better than working alongside Dad, or hunting ground squirrels with him, or riding horses with him.”

Those experiences with his adopted father shaped who he would become as an adult. Young America’s Foundation president, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, stated he was a “wonderful inspiration to so many of us.”

“He did so much more than share stories about his father,” Walker said in the statement. “He challenged the next generation to share the values he stood for throughout his public life. He called on them to be happy warriors in the battle to uphold the founding principles of our republic.

He was a nationally syndicated radio host and best-selling author, often stepping in to correct media narratives about his father’s first terms or personal life.

President Reagan extolled his son writing in his book “An American Life,” upon reading his son’s book, “I had even more of a fatherly pride in Mike than I had had before. …. He was happy and at peace with himself.”

Of Ronald Reagan’s four children, Michael, Maureen, Patti, and Ron, only Patti Davis and Ron Reagan remain alive.

–Dwight Widaman