It’s been almost two months since the passing of the legendary Burt Reynolds, and now his former girlfriend, Sally Field, is sharing her thoughts about their relationship. In her new memoir, In Pieces, the Oscar-winning actress dives deep into their partnership. During a recent interview on This Morning, Sally revealed how difficult it was for her to be herself while dating the Hollywood icon.
How Sally Felt in Their Relationship
Reflecting on their five-year-long relationship, which spanned from 1977 to 1982, Sally described it as intense from the very beginning. "It was instantaneous and intense," she said. "We were a perfect match of flaws." She explained how their connection wasn't always based on the right reasons. "It was like a pre-formed rut in my road," she added, reflecting on how their partnership might have been shaped by both of their past experiences. In her memoir, Sally wonders if things could have been different. "I say in the book many times, if I could have been different, would he have been different?"
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Sally went on to describe how she struggled to be her authentic self around Burt. "He was who he was, a man of his time," she shared. "He needed the women in his life to represent him in a certain way." She explained how this dynamic made it challenging for her to express her true feelings. "Would he have been different if I could have said, 'Don’t do that, I don’t like that?' But I couldn’t be myself—I was absent," Sally admitted. "I was behaving the way I was taught, that to be loved, I had to disappear. And so, I disappeared."
Burt's Feelings About Sally
Even though both Sally and Burt moved on after their split by marrying other people, Burt publicly confessed that Sally was the love of his life just before his passing in early September at the age of 82. During an interview with Today anchor Hoda Kotb, Burt shared his heartfelt sentiments. "I was always flattered when he said that," Sally told Diane Sawyer after hearing Burt's public declaration. "But he was a complicated man." She went on to describe how their connection was more than just a love affair. "We'd known each other about three to four days when we filmed Smokey and the Bandit," she recalled. "It was instantaneous, and four days felt like four years. You can see it in our faces. We were deeply entangled." Sally also pointed out the nature of their bond, noting that it involved her caregiving instincts and Burt's need to be taken care of.
Tragically, Burt passed away just a few days before Sally released her memoir, leaving no chance for him to read it. "It was kind of horrifying that it was so close, and I certainly never wanted to hurt him more than I already had," Sally admitted. "I knew this book would hurt him, even though I tried to paint him as the colorful human being that he was." Despite the potential pain, Sally emphasized the lasting impact Burt had on her life. "He will always be in my heart and my history. He will never not be there," she concluded.
