Though it's been more than 40 years since Sally Field won her first Academy Award, the 77-year-old actress recently revealed that her then-boyfriend, Burt Reynolds, was not supportive of her success. In 50 Oscar Nights, a new book by Dave Karger, Sally shared multiple details that suggest Burt, also an actor, couldn't handle being with a successful woman.
He reportedly refused to go to the Oscars with her in 1980 (the year she won her first Academy Award). And it seems like this was a pattern in their relationship.
Prior to the Oscars, Burt was critical and dismissive of Sally's success. “He did not want me to go to Cannes [Film Festival] at all,” Sally said in the new book, according to People. "He said, ‘You don’t think you’re going to win anything, do you?’”
Discouraging her from going to Cannes was already a red flag, arguably, but then he refused to go to the Oscars with her and made her worry about not having a date for the ceremony.
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Sally said that Burt "was not happy" about her success, as demonstrated by the way he tried to downplay her achievements (or just not be present for them). "When the Oscars came around, he really was not a nice guy around me then and was not going to go with me," she shared.
Obviously, an Oscar nomination is a big deal, and Sally "didn't know what to do" about not having a date for the ceremony, since her then-boyfriend refused to go with her.
Luckily, some of Sally's friends were eager to support her. Comic David Steinberg and his then-wife, Judy, offered to go with her and helped her celebrate.
"David said, ‘Well, for God’s sakes, we’ll take you.’ He and Judy made it a big celebration. They picked me up in a limousine and had champagne in the car. They made it just wonderful fun," Sally revealed.
It seems that Sally and Burt perceived their relationship a bit differently. Before his death in 2018, Burt revealed that he had some regrets. He said that he should've married Sally. They dated from 1976 to 1980.
Their relationship (and breakup) is also featured in the documentary I Am Burt Reynolds. In it, Adam Rifkin shared that Burt said he "screwed up." Burt also praised Sally prior to his death, telling Entertainment Tonight that he missed her. "I think she was one of the most underrated actresses, you know?" he told the outlet in 2015.
Meanwhile, in her 2018 memoir In Pieces, Sally wrote about how Burt was controlling when they were together. In a 2022 interview with Variety, Sally said Burt was "just not good for me in any way."
