7 Shocking Facts About Robert Redford’s Wives: From A Historian To An Environmental Artist

The passing of legendary actor and director Robert Redford on September 16, 2025, marked the end of an iconic era in Hollywood, prompting a fresh look at the private life of a man who fiercely guarded his personal world. While his career spanned classics like The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the women who stood by him—his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, and his final love, Sibylle Szaggars Redford—were forces of nature in their own right, each contributing to his life outside of the spotlight.

The latest updates on the Redford family focus heavily on his widow, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, a German-born environmental artist whose powerful work continues to champion the causes they both believed in. This article delves into the two defining marriages of Robert Redford’s life, offering a unique perspective on the women who shaped the man behind the myth.

Sibylle Szaggars Redford: A Profile of Robert Redford’s Final Wife

Robert Redford’s final marriage was to a woman who shared his deep connection to nature and a passion for environmental advocacy. Sibylle Szaggars Redford is a celebrated multimedia artist whose career spans decades and continents.

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• Full Name: Sibylle Szaggars Redford
• Date of Birth: April 9, 1957
• Place of Birth: Hamburg, Germany
• Nationality: German (by birth), American (by marriage)
• Occupation: Multimedia Environmental Artist, Painter, Activist
• Notable Work/Project: Creator of "The Way of the Rain"
• Marriage to Robert Redford: 2009–2025
• How They Met: At the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah in 1996
• Key Themes in Art: Climate change, water, environmental conservation, and the spiritual connection to the planet.

The Two Defining Marriages: Lola Van Wagenen and Sibylle Szaggars

Robert Redford was married twice, with each relationship lasting for decades and representing a different chapter in his life. His first marriage was a youthful union that predated his massive fame, while his second was a partnership with an artistic soulmate.

1. The Quiet, 27-Year Union with Lola Van Wagenen

Robert Redford married Lola Van Wagenen in 1958, a historian and activist. She was a key figure in his early life, and their marriage lasted for 27 years before they quietly separated in 1985. Their relationship was famously private and ended without public animosity, a rare feat in Hollywood.

Lola Van Wagenen is an accomplished historian who co-founded Clio Visualizing History, an organization dedicated to making American history accessible through various media. She is also the mother of Redford’s four children: Scott, Shauna, James "Jamie," and Amy Redford.

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2. Sibylle Szaggars: The Environmental Artist Who Didn't Know He Was Famous

Redford met Sibylle Szaggars in 1996 at his beloved Sundance Mountain Resort. A famous anecdote suggests that one of the things that initially drew Redford to Sibylle was her apparent lack of knowledge about his films, allowing him to be seen simply as himself. They dated for over a decade before marrying in a private ceremony.

The wedding took place in Sibylle’s native country, Germany, in July 2009. The intimate event was held at the luxury Louis C. Jacob Hotel in Hamburg, attended by only about 30 close family members and friends.

5 Fascinating Details About Sibylle Szaggars Redford’s Powerful Art and Legacy

Sibylle Szaggars Redford is far more than just "Robert Redford's wife." Her career is a testament to her dedication to Mother Nature, using her art as a powerful tool for environmental advocacy.

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3. Her Art is a Global, Multimedia Experience

Sibylle is a German-born artist known for her vibrant, often Indian-themed, paintings and her evolution into a multimedia environmental artist. Her work has been exhibited across Europe, Asia (including Singapore and Japan), and South America (Peru), establishing her as a globally recognized artist.

4. The Core Project: "The Way of the Rain"

Her most significant work is a live, multidisciplinary performance titled "The Way of the Rain." This project, which she conceived, is a dramatic exploration of climate change and the resulting rapidly changing weather patterns. The performance blends her original artwork with music, dance, and spoken word to create an immersive experience.

5. Redford Was an Active Collaborator in Her Work

Robert Redford was not just a supporter; he was an active participant in his wife's artistic endeavors. He often joined the live performances of "The Way of the Rain" as a narrator or performer, lending his voice and star power to the environmental message. This collaboration highlighted their shared commitment to environmental issues and the preservation of the planet.

6. The Unspoken Tragedy of Loss

Both Robert Redford and Lola Van Wagenen faced profound tragedy with the loss of two of their four children. Their first son, Scott Anthony Redford, died just two months after his birth in 1959. Decades later, their son, filmmaker James "Jamie" Redford, passed away in 2020 after a battle with liver cancer. This shared experience of profound loss bound the Redford family together, a reality that Sibylle Szaggars also navigated as a supportive partner in Redford's final years.

7. The Enduring Sundance Connection

The legacy of both women is intertwined with the Sundance name. Lola Van Wagenen was instrumental in the early days of the family’s involvement with the Utah land that would become the Sundance Mountain Resort. Decades later, Sibylle Szaggars met Robert Redford at that same resort. The Sundance Film Festival, which Redford founded, remains a monumental entity in the independent film world, a testament to the family's enduring legacy in the arts and the American West.

As of December 18, 2025, Sibylle Szaggars Redford continues to honor her late husband's memory by focusing on her art and environmental activism. Her work with "The Way of the Rain" serves as a powerful continuation of the couple's shared values, ensuring that the Redford name remains synonymous with conservation and the arts long after the actor's passing.