Robert Redford is reportedly writing his memoir.
The 82-year-old Hollywood legend has announced he is retiring from acting and now wants to spend his time writing the story of his life and career which will document his highs and lows in the movie business and the truth about his relationships.
Redford also intends to open up on the most painful moments he has had to endure such as the death of his mother Martha, who passed away in childbirth, and the tragic death of his 10-week old son Scott, who passed away from sudden infant death syndrome in November 1959.
A source told America’s OK! magazine: "Robert’s not leaving any stone unturned. He wants to set the record straight about him and Natalie Wood, Jane Fonda and the other women in his life.
"He’s also going to include the reason he finally married again after years of avoiding the altar. He will address painful memories. He’s hoping this will be like therapy and bring him peace."
Redford previously allowed writer Michael Callan to pen a biography on him – which was released in 2011 – and although he gave numerous interviews to the author and allowed him access to his family and friends and handed over private diaries and letters collated over many years, the Academy Award winner still did not open about the most emotionally traumatic moments he had lived through.
As well as baby Scott, Redford and his first wife Lola van Wagenen – who he divorced in 1985 – had three other children Shauna, David James, known as ‘Jamie" and Amy.
His life as a parent continued to be tinged with tragedy as Jamie was born seven weeks’ premature with a respiratory problem which almost proved fatal and then he developed ulcerative colitis and had to have his colon removed and required two liver transplants by the time he was 30.
In 1983, his daughter Shauna’s fiancé was found dead, shot in the back of the head.
Briefly talking about Scott’s death as a baby, the ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ star previously said: "It was really hard. We were very young. I had my first theatre job, which didn’t pay much. We didn’t know anything about sudden infant death syndrome so as a parent you blame yourself. It creates a scar that never completely heals."
After being in a relationship with Sibylle Szaggars for years the couple finally tied the knot in July 2009.
Redford made his big screen breakthrough in 1967 when he starred opposite Jane Fonda in ‘Barefoot in the Park’, the pair went on to appear in several more movies together sharing numerous steamy on-screen moments and the actress confessed she fell in love with him after making that first movie but nothing ever developed between them off screen.
Fonda – who also played Redford’s lover in ‘The Chase’, ‘The Electric Horseman’ and 2017 romantic Netflix drama ‘Our Souls at Night’ – said: "I was so in love with Bob. Nothing ever happened between us but he was fabulous to kiss. I had a mad crush. I couldn’t wait for the cuddling scenes. The only bad thing is he doesn’t like to do love scenes."
Robert Redford writing memoir
