He entered the world as someone else’s child, then became “Reagan” within hours — a name that brought both privilege and a piercing loneliness. Michael Reagan grew up watching his father captivate crowds while he himself struggled to feel truly seen at home. The boy who learned he was adopted from his sister, the groom whose father chose another wedding over his own, carried a quiet ache that no public honor could erase.Yet he refused to let bitterness define him. By revealing the childhood sexual abuse he endured, he gave language to the shame so many carry in silence. Through faith, he came to see himself as “twice adopted” — once by the Reagans, and once, spiritually, by God. In time, he transformed his private pain into public purpose: championing his father’s legacy, raising money for causes bigger than himself, and speaking openly about forgiveness, resilience, and grace.
Michael Reagan, eldest son of President Reagan, dies at 80
