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Hollywood has been sent into mourning over the news of Robert Redford’s death.
The acting legend died, aged 89, in his sleep at his home in Sundance, Utah, on August 16, his management agency Rogers and Cowan PMK confirmed.
The firm’s chief executive, Cindi Berger, said he died in “the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved”.
“He will be missed greatly,” she told the New York Times. “The family requests privacy.”
Robert has been survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and his two daughters.
The Indecent Proposal star also had two sons, but they both tragically died in heartbreaking losses.
Robert described his children as his “greatest” achievement in life despite his Hollywood accolades and global fame.
Scroll on for everything we know about Robert’s ever-supportive family…
Who is Robert Redford’s wife?
Robert has been married to artist Sibylle Szaggars since 2009.
The couple tied the knot in Germany in a small ceremony that included just 30 family members and friends.
Sibylle was born in Hamburg, Germany, and moved to London in the 1980s to start her career as an artist before moving to the United States.
Robert and Sibylle were in a relationship for more than 10 years before getting married, first encountering one another at his Sundance Mountain Resort in 1996.
Sibylle didn’t know how famous Robert was at the time and initially panicked because she didn’t know much about his movies.
However, it ended up helping their relationship as they were able to get to know one another with a fresh pair of eyes.
“It was a wonderful beginning of a relationship,” Robert said in 2014. “It began as two human beings meeting each other and finding a connection as two human beings, rather than being colored by success.”
Sibylle, who is an environmental artist, founded non-profit organisation The Way of the Rain to explore the issue of climate change in 2015, with Robert acting as a vice president before his death.
Sibylle remained devoted by Robert’s side until his death.
What happened to Robert Redford’s first wife?
Before meeting Sibylle, Robert was married to his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, for 27 years.
The couple tied the knot in 1958 when Robert was in his early 20s and Lola was still studying at college.
Reflecting on the day, Robert told The Telegraph in 2001 that they had just $300 in their bank account at the time of their wedding and borrowed a car to leave the ceremony in.
The couple was married for more than 20 years before they separated in the mid-1980s.
Robert described their split as “mutual” and said they maintained a great relationship following their divorce.
“It was mutual, and it was right to move on. We still have great love, great affection, great friendship,” he told The Telegraph.
“It is wonderful, and I think we probably deserve credit for it because the kids are great, they came through it OK.
“I never wanted to be one of those divorced showbusiness casualties – so predictable! I wanted to prove that a marriage could last and prove the business wrong. But I couldn’t.”
Does Robert Redford have children?
Robert welcomed four children with his first wife, Lola.
They had their first child, a son, Scott, in 1959 as Robert’s career began to take off.
However, the couple was hit by a heartbreaking tragedy when Scott died of sudden infant death syndrome just a few months after his birth.
“It was really hard,” Robert told AARP Magazine in 2011. “We were very young. I had my first theater job, which didn’t pay much.”
“We didn’t know anything about SIDS, so the only thing you think is that you’ve done something wrong. As a parent, you tend to blame yourself. That creates a scar that probably never completely heals.”
Speaking to Esquire in 2017, Robert once again reflected on how the loss had left a scar throughout his life.
“We had to deal with it. You have to move on,” he told the publication.
“And we had other children who came. But something like that doesn’t get completely dismissed. It probably shows up in various small ways you’re not even aware of.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of this stuff that’s subconscious. But it’s pretty traumatic when it happens, particularly when you’re that young. You’re not equipped to deal with it.”
After the devastating loss, the couple went on to have three more children – daughters Shauna and Amy, and a son, James.
But the family suffered another tragedy in October 2020 when James died from bile-duct cancer at the age of 58.
At the time of his death, Robert’s publicist, Cindy, said in a statement: “The grief is immeasurable with the loss of a child.”
James was survived by his wife, Kyle, and their two children – Dylan and Lena.
Robert’s daughter Shauna, also has two children – Mica and Conor – while Amy has a daughter, Eden.
What happened with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep?
Robert famously shared a close friendship with Meryl Streep ever since they starred in the 1985 romantic drama, Out of Africa.
The pair starred as love interests in the film, set in Kenya and based on Danish author Karen Blixen’s book, and famously got on like a house on fire.
However, Robert admitted that their bond actually caused an issue on set with director Sydney Pollack.
“It caused ripples. We liked to talk. We’d be off-camera, between takes, taking it easy,” Robert revealed in the 2019 book, Queen Meryl.
“We had a sense of humour in common. But Sydney didn’t like that. He would break it up.
“It bothered him that I was connecting with her in some way that didn’t fit his picture of me or us as a team. That wasn’t easy to deal with, because I felt I was in a vice and I became resentful.”
Meryl even admitted she had a “big crush” on Robert while they were filming, cheekily describing him as a “heartthrob”.
She admitted he was her best on-screen kiss, and though their relationship was never romantic, they formed a lasting friendship.
They starred alongside one another once again in 2007’s Lions For Lambs.
Meryl shared her devastation after the news of Robert’s death.
“One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend,” she said in a statement.
What is Robert Redford’s best movie?
Robert has an impressive catalogue of 50+ movies to his name, leaving a lasting legacy spanning over 60 years.
The Hollywood legend has no shortage of iconic roles, but he is arguably best known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
He also took on notable roles in 1973’s The Sting, 1968 release Barefoot in the Park, and 1966’s The Chase, among many others.
From the start of his career, he was heading for greatness and picked up a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer in 1965 for Inside Daisy Clover.
He was also nominated for an Oscar for his role as Johnny Hooker in The Sting, but he was beaten to the gong by Jack Lemmon.
Though he wasn’t nominated again in the best actor category, Robert took home a best director Oscar in 1980 for Ordinary People.
He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2002 and a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival in 2017.
Robert also founded the Sundance Film Festival, which has become the largest independent film festival in the United States.
