Actress Sally Field Was Burt Reynolds’ Greatest Love, Yet She Refused to Speak to Him During His Final 30 Years

The passing of Burt Reynolds in 2018 left a profound impact on countless people around the world. The beloved actor died after a long battle with various health issues.

Reynolds’ legacy remains immense, with countless cherished memories held by his friends and co-stars. Among the most heartfelt tributes was from Sally Field, his on-and-off girlfriend over the years.

Sally, now 76, had kept largely silent about their relationship for decades, but after Burt’s death, she opened up about their time together.

Reynolds had once revealed that although he had many relationships throughout his life, only one person stood out as his true love: Sally Field. In an emotional Vanity Fair interview, he explained that Field would be the one he’d remember for the rest of his life.

Their love was intense, and Reynolds openly admitted that it was he who fought to get Sally cast in Smokey and the Bandit. However, the filmmakers initially rejected her, deeming her “not sexy enough.” Burt stood by her, and she eventually got the role.

Sally felt that Burt made her feel “sexy,” and she wanted to be everything he desired.

Their relationship continued to evolve as they starred together in films like Hooper and The End (1978). Sally remembered their time fondly, recalling how Burt made her feel special.

Despite the media attention surrounding their off-and-on dating, the couple split in 1980. Their love story, which seemed like a fairytale, turned out to be more complicated than it appeared.

Sally reflected on their relationship in her memoir In Pieces, describing how Burt used his fame to control their relationship. She felt trapped in a pattern, saying, “Blindly I fell into a rut that had long ago formed in my road… a pre-programmed behavior as if in some past I had pledged a soul-binding commitment to this man.”

What began as a beautiful love story became Sally’s emotional struggle, and she explained, “What happened is that I stopped existing. I dressed for him, looked for him, walked for him. He asked me to marry him many times, but I knew his heart wasn’t in it. We’d have ended up just feeling terrible.”

After their breakup, both Burt and Sally moved on to new relationships. Yet, Burt never forgot Sally and later admitted his regret.

“I miss her terribly,” he confessed. “Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up.”

For over 40 years, Burt carried this remorse. By the time of his death, Sally had cut off contact with him and had no intention of rekindling their relationship.

Though the precise cause of their breakup was never disclosed, rumors circulated about an affair, which deeply embarrassed Sally. She felt foolish and betrayed.

However, after Burt’s passing, Sally finally chose to speak about him with a candid tribute: “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away. They stay alive, even forty years later. My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.”

Burt, 82, passed away from a heart attack in 2018, surrounded by his family.

In a further interview, Sally shared her ongoing affection for Burt, saying, “I’ve always thought of him rather nostalgically… He was a very important part of my life, but for a tiny little part of my life. I was only with him for about three years, and then maybe two years on and off after that. But it was so hugely important in my own existence, my own movement as a person.”

Sally expressed relief that Burt didn’t live to read her memoir, as there were parts that would have been difficult for him to read. She stated, “I felt glad that he wasn’t going to read it, he wasn’t going to be asked about it, and he wasn’t going to have to defend himself or lash out, which he probably would have.”

Sally Field and Burt Reynolds were given a second chance at their unique relationship, and wherever he may be today, we hope Burt knows that Sally still holds a special place for him in her heart.