For decades, Robert Redford captivated audiences with his charm, talent, and a life seemingly made for the silver screen.

 

 

But behind the iconic roles and red carpet appearances lay a deeply personal story of love and heartbreak that he kept hidden.

 

From a whirlwind Hollywood romance to private moments that shaped his soul, Redford has remained tight-lipped about the one woman who left an indelible mark on his heart.

 

Until now, at 88, the legendary actor has finally opened up about the greatest love of his life.

 

Who was she, and why did he hold on to this secret for so long?

 

You probably know Robert Redford as one of the greatest actors of all time, right?

 

That golden-haired guy with a smile that lit up the screen in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or the charming lead in The Way We Were with Barbara Streisand.

 

But long before Hollywood got its hands on him, Robert was just a regular kid growing up in a working-class family in Santa Monica, California.

 

His dad was an accountant, and his mom kept the household running, and they lived a modest life.

 

 

It wasn’t the kind of start you’d expect for someone who’d eventually be rubbing elbows with the biggest stars in the world.

 

From a young age, Robert was different.

 

He loved art, sports, and the outdoors more than school.

 

He called himself a bad student because he couldn’t focus in class, but boy, he could focus on the tennis court or with a paintbrush in his hand.

 

He even got to warm up tennis legend Pancho Gonzalez at the Los Angeles Tennis Club.

 

But school wasn’t his thing, and he struggled when he got to the University of Colorado.

 

Things took a bad turn.

 

He started drinking heavily, lost his scholarship, and eventually got kicked out.

 

That could have been the end of his story, but for Robert, it was just the beginning.

 

After that, he drifted through Europe, soaking up life in places like France, Spain, and Italy.

 

He lived simply, sketching, painting, and figuring out who he wanted to be.

 

It was during this time that the seed of acting was planted.

 

 

By the time he returned to the States, he was ready to try something new.

 

He moved to New York, studied painting at Pratt Institute, and then gave acting a shot at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

 

He wasn’t an instant success, no big breaks right away, but he stuck with it, taking small roles on stage and in television.

 

Now let me tell you about the love story that shaped so much of Robert’s life.

 

It was the late 1950s when he met Lola Van Wagenen.

 

 

She was everything Robert wasn’t—calm, grounded, and rooted in her Mormon faith.

 

She came from Provo, Utah, a world away from Robert’s California upbringing.

 

Still, they clicked.

 

She saw something in him, and he saw something in her.

 

Their connection was so strong that they eloped in 1958, defying her parents’ wishes.

 

Think about it— a young couple barely more than kids running off to get married because they couldn’t stand to be apart.

 

It’s the stuff of romance novels.

 

But life wasn’t easy for them in the beginning.

 

Robert was still trying to make it as an actor, and money was tight.

 

 

They lived in small apartments and scraped by on whatever work he could find.

 

Then tragedy struck.

 

Their first child, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome.

 

It was devastating—the kind of loss that could break anyone, but it brought them closer in some ways.

 

Lola’s strength was a rock for Robert during that time.

 

He later said she was the love of his life, and you can see why.

 

She stood by him through heartbreak and uncertainty, always believing he’d make it.

 

As Robert’s career took off, things got busier and more complicated.

 

His breakout role came in the Broadway production of Barefoot in the Park in 1963, where he played a newlywed opposite Elizabeth Ashley.

 

Audiences loved him, and Hollywood started paying attention.

 

Soon, he was on TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason before landing his first big film roles.

 

By the late 60s, he was a full-blown movie star.

 

 

You’ve probably seen him in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman, right?

Their chemistry was electric, and the movie was a smash hit.

 

Suddenly, Robert wasn’t just an actor—he was a heartthrob, a household name.

 

But fame comes at a cost, doesn’t it?

 

Robert was working all the time, often on location for months.

 

Meanwhile, Lola was at home raising their three children, Shauna, David, and Amy.

 

The pressure of balancing his skyrocketing career with family life started to wear on their relationship.

 

Robert has admitted in later years that he regrets not putting his family first more often.

 

He was ambitious, driven, and maybe a little too focused on making a name for himself.

 

But back then, it was hard to see another way.

 

Even as their marriage struggled, they shared some beautiful moments.

 

Lola wasn’t just his wife—she was his sounding board, his confidant.

 

She supported his decision to start the Sundance Film Festival, which became a game-changer for independent filmmakers.

 

It was a passion project for Robert, something that reflected his belief in taking risks and supporting new voices in cinema.

 

Without Lola’s encouragement, who knows if Sundance would have ever happened.

 

 

But by the mid-1980s, the cracks in their relationship were too big to ignore.

 

They decided to divorce in 1985 after 27 years of marriage.

 

It wasn’t a bitter breakup—they remained friends and continued to co-parent their kids.

 

Still, it was the end of an era.

 

Robert later described Lola as the love of his life, a sentiment that speaks volumes about the depth of their bond.

 

Even though they couldn’t make their marriage work, she left an indelible mark on him.