Who was Robert Redford’s first wife Lola Van Wagenen? All about Iconic star’s personal life as he dies at 89

Robert Redford has reportedly died at the age of 89.

As of this writing, the exact cause of death remains unclear, though a spokesperson reportedly confirmed that he died in his sleep in his home in Providence, Utah.

The actor, who had the Presidential Medal of Freedom under his belt, leaves behind his two kids and his second wife, Sibylle Szaggars. He had been married to her since 2009. Before that, he was married to Lola Van Wagenen for twenty-seven years.

For the unversed, Wagenen is a German painter, historian, and activist. She met the actor when he was 20 and she was 17. They were in Los Angeles at the time, though they eloped in Utah in 1958. They welcomed a son, Scott, in September 1959. However, he died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) a year later.

They eventually welcomed three more kids, daughters Shauna and Amy, and a son named James. The latter reportedly died in 2020 at the age of 58 after a struggle with cancer. Robert Redford had long kept his life with his first wife under wraps. Speaking with The Guardian in 2004, he said of his split:

"I got married very young, at 21. Obviously I don't want to denigrate the person I married, there were a lot of good reasons ... But when you ask me a question, like 'Why?', I have to say it was to save my life. That's what it felt like at the time."

Robert Redford's marriage to his first wife, Lola Van Wegenen, explored:

Back in 2001, Robert Redford spoke to The Telegraph about his and his first wife's decision to dissolve their marriage:

“It was mutual and it was right to move on,” he said at the time. “We still have great love, great affection, great friendship. It is wonderful, and I think we probably deserve credit for it because the kids are great, they came through it OK. I never wanted to be one of those divorced showbusiness casualties — so predictable!I wanted to prove that a marriage could last and prove the business wrong. But I couldn’t.”

Recent reports from Primetimer suggest that Lola Van Wagenen is also a film producer, with movies like The Mike Douglas Show, American Experience, and The State of Marriage under her belt of credits. She also helms an educational non-profit organization called Consumer Action Now (CAN). She co-founded the same in 1970.

She also co-founded Clio Visualizing History, Inc., in 1995, which started off as an organization but has since evolved into a non-profit. Furthermore, she is a Pd. D holder in American History, which she completed at NYU, where she also earned her Master's.

As of this writing, hers and Robert Redford's daughters, Amy Hart and Shauna Jean, have yet to issue a statement.

Trending

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback