Hollywood heartthrob Robert Redford had to ‘protect himself’ from lusting costars… but only had eyes for his wife

On Tuesday, it was announced that legendary actor and director Robert Redford had passed away in his sleep at the age of 89 – but his legacy will never be forgotten by fans. 

The Oscar-winner and founder of The Sundance Film Festival died in his sleep on Tuesday at his home in Utah, outside of Provo, The New York Times reported. 

The actor began directing later in life and won an Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980. 

Redford was one of the top Hollywood leading men for decades, appearing in blockbusters such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men. 

He often starred alongside many of Hollywood’s leading ladies at the time, like Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were in 1973, and Jane Fonda in the 1967 film, Barefoot in the Park.  

And while the Hollywood heartthrob may have had plenty of on-screen romances, he only had eyes for his wife at the time, historian Lola Van Wagenen.

He shared four children with Van Wagenen – but the two later divorced, and he remarried in 2009 to German artist Sibylle Szaggars.

Now, FEMAIL has rounded up a full picture of the heartthrob’s love life over the years – including the famous female co-stars who lusted after him.

The Oscar-winner and founder of The Sundance Film Festival died in his sleep on Tuesday at his home in Utah , outside of Provo, The New York Times reported

He often starred alongside many of Hollywood’s leading ladies at the time, like Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were in 1973, and Jane Fonda in the 1967 film, Barefoot in the Park, seen here with Streisand

Redford married his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, in 1958

In 1958, Redford married his wife, Lola Van Wagenen, who was a film producer and historian.

The two met in 1957, when he was just 21, and she was 19.

According to The Times of London, Redford proposed to her during a phone call, and they married in Las Vegas the following year.

They moved to New York City together, and lived in a small apartment on the Upper East Side. When Lola was pregnant, and about to be dismissed from her job, Redford had just landed his first role on Broadway.

However, after Lola gave birth to their first child, Scott, tragedy struck. 

He passed away at only ten weeks old, from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

‘It was really hard. We were very young. I had my first theatre job, which didn’t pay much,’ Redford said about his son’s death, according to The Times.

In 1958, Redford married his wife, Lola Van Wagenen, who was a film producer and historian

According to The Times of London , Redford proposed to her during a phone call, and they married in Las Vegas that next year

Van Wagenen co-founded Consumer Action Now, an educational nonprofit in 1970, and co-founded Clio Visualizing History, Inc, a nonprofit that is ‘dedicated to creating innovative online history exhibits’

‘We didn’t know anything about sudden infant death syndrome so as a parent you blame yourself. It creates a scar that never completely heals.’

They had three more children together – son James, and daughters Amy and Shauna Redford. 

Sadly, their son James passed away in 2020 after a battle with bile duct cancer.

Van Wagenen co-founded Consumer Action Now, an educational nonprofit in 1970, and co-founded Clio Visualizing History, Inc, a nonprofit that is ‘dedicated to creating innovative online history exhibits.’

She was also involved in the film industry, serving as the executive producer for many films, including Miss America: A Documentary Film, which premiered in 2002 as it explored the history of the Miss America pageants.

The couple got divorced in 1985, which he said was ‘mutual’ during a 2001 interview with The Telegraph. They had never publicly announced it. 

‘We still have great love, great affection, great friendship,’ he said about Van Wagenen at the time.

‘It is wonderful, and I think we probably deserve credit for it because the kids are great, they came through it OK.’

Barbra Streisand admitted that she had a ‘crush’ on Redford

In 1973, Redford and Barbra Streisand played romantic interests in the hit film, The Way We Were.

The movie chronicled Katie Morosky, who was a politically active, anti-war Jewish woman played played by Streisand, and Hubbell Gardiner, who was described as a ‘WASP,’ played by Redford.

The two first meet in college, but reconnected later in life, when they try to rekindle their romance – but soon realize their differences in views about World War II and McCarthyism played a larger role in their relationship than they thought.  

Redford and Streisand had intense chemistry in the movie, with author Robert Hofler, who published the 2023 book The Way We Were, claiming that Streisand was ‘infatuated’ with the actor, even before they had met.

‘Barbra was delighted because she had a crush on him, even before we started,’ the film’s director, Sydney Pollack, said in the book, according to Entertainment Weekly.

‘It was hard for women not to have a fixation, because he was everywhere, like Elvis. He was the golden boy long before Hubbell came along,’ Pollack continued.

The director shared that Redford, for his part, neither was ‘encouraging her nor using her crush to his advantage.’ 

In 1973, Redford and Barbra Streisand played romantic interests in the hit film, The Way We Were

The movie chronicled Katie Morosky, who was a politically active, anti-war Jewish woman played played by Streisand, and Hubbell Gardiner, who was described as a ‘WASP,’ played by Redford

Redford and Streisand had intense chemistry in the movie, with author Robert Hofler, who published the 2023 book The Way We Were, claiming that Streisand was ‘infatuated’ with the actor, even before they had met

Of course, however, Redford only had eyes for his wife, Van Wagenen, and he and Streisand did not have a romantic relationship.

It was later reported in Hofler’s book that Redford reportedly had to wear two pairs of underwear to ‘protect himself’ when they filmed The Way They Were.

However, over the years, they remained extremely close friends.

When she presented Redford with the Chaplin Award in 2015, she joked, ‘I’d like to say, “Dear Bob, it was such fun being married to you for a while. Too bad it didn’t work out,”‘ according to People. 

‘But we made something that will last much longer than many real marriages. I am so proud of the work we did together,’ she added.

Jane Fonda once revealed that she was ‘in love’ with Redford

Redford first worked together with actress Jane Fonda in 1960’s film Tall Story, where he played an uncredited basketball player.

But later, he would star alongside Fonda in 1966’s The Chase and 1967’s Barefoot In The Park. 

They also starred in 1979’s The Electric Horseman, and 2017’s romantic Our Souls at Night. 

In Barefoot In The Park, Fonda and Redford played newlyweds who have a passionate relationship – but their love becomes tested when they move into a fifth-floor walkup apartment in New York City.  

Redford first worked together with actress Jane Fonda in 1960’s film Tall Story, where he played an uncredited basketball player

She later admitted in a 2015 interview with The Guardian that she was ‘in love with Redford’

In a 2008 interview with People, Fonda admitted that in each movie she filmed with Redford, she developed a ‘crush’ on the star.

She later admitted in a 2015 interview with The Guardian that she was ‘in love with Redford.’  

Fonda shared the same sentiment in a 2023 interview with Vulture.

‘I made four films with him, and for three, I was in love with him. Which meant I had a really good time,’ she told Vulture at the time.

However, Fonda shared that Redford ‘did not like to kiss’ and was often ‘in a bad mood.’

However, during a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fonda admitted that she loved the sex scenes they did together. 

Their relationship was completely platonic, as Redford was still married to his wife at the time, and Fonda was married as well – but although it wasn’t romantic, they shared an amazing friendship

‘We’ve done many films over the years so it just worked out that way, that there was not a lot of discussion, we didn’t have to talk about a lot,’ he shared

However, Fonda shared that Redford ‘did not like to kiss’ and was often ‘in a bad mood’

‘I live for sex scenes!’ Fonda said at the time. ‘He’s a great kisser. It was fun to kiss him in my 20s and then to kiss him again in my almost 80s.’

Their relationship was completely platonic, as Redford was still married to his wife at the time, and Fonda was married as well – but although it wasn’t romantic, they shared an amazing friendship. 

During a 2017 interview on The Today Show, Redford spoke about just how much he enjoyed working with Fonda. 

‘It’s easy,’ he said about working with Fonda.

‘We’ve done many films over the years so it just worked out that way, that there was not a lot of discussion, we didn’t have to talk about a lot,’ he shared.

‘Things just kind of fell into place between us, and there wasn’t much more to think about.’

That same year, he even called Fonda a ‘force.’

Redford re-married in 2009 to Sibylle Szaggars

In 2009, Redford found love again as he married his second wife, German artist Sibylle Szaggars

According to People, Redford was drawn to how little Szaggars knew about him

In 2015, Szaggars founded The Way of the Rain, with Redford serving as Vice President

In 2009, Redford found love again as he married his second wife, German artist Sibylle Szaggars.

Szaggars, who is a German-born environmental artist, initially met the Hollywood actor after traveling to the US and visiting Utah.

The pair, who had a 20-year age gap, met at Redford’s Sundance Mountain Resort in 1996, with Szaggars admitting she actually knew little about Redford when they met and had never seen any of his films before.

The longtime couple were notoriously private about their relationship.

According to People, Redford was drawn to how little Szaggars knew about him.

‘It was a wonderful beginning of a relationship, because it began as two human beings meeting each other and finding a connection as two human beings, rather than being colored by success,’ he told the publication.

However, the artist admitted she panicked when Redford asked her to join him and some friends for dinner – deciding to embark on a crash course of his large library of films by renting eight and watching 15 minutes ‘randomly’ in case he would bring them up.

‘I thought, “What if he wants to talk about his movies?” I have no idea — that would be so embarrassing,’ she admitted. ‘I probably would have mixed everything. Of course, he did not talk about it so I was rescued and saved.’

Szaggars who creates art that ‘connects to the earth and environment,’ also has a passion for environmental activism which she shares with her husband.

In 2015, Szaggars founded The Way of the Rain, with Redford serving as Vice President.

The nonprofit organization is dedicated to ‘developing, producing and performing educational and artistic performances, themed and designed to promote public awareness to support the protection of our Earth.’

The couple have received several awards for their activism. In 2015, the at the Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s Prince Rainier III Award awards gala in Monaco.

They were also honored in 2018 at the Ryerson Woods’ 35th annual Smith Nature Symposium & Benefit, where Szaggars performed her interactive performance, The Way of The Rain – Voice of Hope.