Almost a year later, the couple welcomed the birth of their first son. Two and a half months later, tragedy struck. “It was really hard,” Redford recalled. The couple was very young, and Redford had just closed his first theater job. Neither of them had heard of ‘sudden infant death syndrome, which is how their first son passed away. Two years later, the young couple gave birth to their first daughter. Shauna was followed by Jaimie, born in 1962, and Amy, another daughter, was born in 1970.
Their worries hardly came to an end. Jaimie, their second son, was born seven weeks premature with severe medical conditions. His teen years brought more concern. The boy developed a medical condition that transferred Jaimie and his parents in and out of the hospital.
Falling in Love and Finding His Way
At university, Redford fell in love with Lola Van Wagenen. After he dropped out, so did she. The girl was from a Mormon family. The rollicking romance burned strong surviving a year’s absence when the young man went off to Europe to find his way as an artist. After studying art in Paris for a year, he returned to Lola.
Everything worked out. In 1987, the University of Colorado awarded Redford an honorary degree, and his quest to be an artist led him to develop his acting career.
Marrying Lola
The couple longed to be wed. Perhaps Lola Van Wagenen did not have the support of her parents, seeing how it was her beau’s fault she dropped out of the university, because the lovebirds decided to elope.
In September of 1958, they stowed off to Las Vegas and were quietly married. Five weeks later, a respectable public ceremony was held in Provo for family, friends, and loved ones.
The End of an Era
After 28 years of marriage, the Redfords went their separate ways. The divorce was final in 1985. Robert Redford has said that the passing of two-month-old Scott caused a rift that never healed between the couple. They blamed each other and they blamed themselves. It was Redford who kissed the baby goodnight when they found him lifeless in the crib the next morning.
Following the divorce, the now-famous actor began dating Sibylle Szaggars, with who he moved in during the 1990s, and then married, finally, in 2009.
The Beginning of a Television Career
Redford fell in love with stage acting. His very first role was in Tall Story on Broadway. He had one line in the 1959 production, but it saved his family during a tight stretch. He went on to perform countless Broadway shows and other theater productions.
About the time his second child was born, the actor decided to move his acting ambitions to television. His career took off like wildfire. He scored roles in 'The Twilight Zone', 'Maverick', 'The Untouchables' and 'Perry Mason'. The 24-year-old was well on his way to an incredible profession, and to being one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.