Sally Field claims that Burt Reynolds ‘created’ her as the love of his life: ‘I was not.’

In the world of Hollywood romances, few have been as complicated and publicly scrutinized as the relationship between Sally Field and Burt Reynolds. Their love story, or perhaps, their lack thereof, has been a subject of fascination for decades. In this article, we’ll delve into the intriguing dynamics of their connection, shedding light on the contrasting perspectives of Field and Reynolds.

The “Love” That Wasn’t
Burt Reynolds, the charismatic Hollywood icon, publicly declared Sally Field as the love of his life in 2015, just three years before his passing. He expressed profound regret for not making their on-screen romance, which began on the set of the 1977 film “Smokey and the Bandit,” translate into a real-life love story. Reynolds often spoke about how much he missed Field.

However, Sally Field’s perspective on their relationship was markedly different. In a recent interview, she candidly stated, “He was not someone I could be around. He was simply not right for me in any way.” Field, who was 75 at the time of the interview, went on to claim that Reynolds had somehow convinced himself that she was more important to him than she actually was. She expressed her reluctance to deal with this skewed perception.

A Memoir Unveils the Truth
The publication of Field’s memoir, “In Pieces,” in September 2018, just days after Reynolds’ passing, provided a deeper insight into their complicated relationship. In her book, Field portrayed Reynolds as a dominating and abusive figure in her life. She didn’t shy away from discussing his drug use, revealing that he used substances like Percodan, Valium, and barbiturates during the filming of “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Field and Reynolds dated on and off for five years and collaborated on four films. Looking back, Field reflected that her relationship with Reynolds was, in a way, an attempt to recreate the dynamics she had experienced with her stepfather, Jock Mahoney. She revealed in her book that Mahoney, a stuntman and actor, had sexually assaulted her until she was 14, making her relationship with Reynolds a complex emotional journey.