Robert Redford and his first wife Lola Van Wagenen had four children, but tragedy struck early when their firstborn, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at just seven weeks old.
In a rare 2017 interview, Redford opened up about the lasting pain. “I was only 21; my wife was 20. We were just starting our lives; I was just starting my career in New York,” he remembered. The grief was traumatic and shaped him in ways he only partially understood.
They sought therapy but found limited help. Redford said, “I tried a while back, two or three times. I found myself trying to psychoanalyze the analyst.”
Despite decades passing, Scott’s death left a deep mark on Redford, influencing his outlook on family and loss. He described how such tragedy never fully disappears but sometimes manifests subtly in life.
