Sally Field Alleges That Burt Reynolds ‘Invented’ Her As His Life Partner: ‘No, I Wasn’t’

Sally Field, a renowned Hollywood actress, recently opened up about her tumultuous relationship with the late Burt Reynolds, a celebrated actor and producer, in her memoir “In Pieces.” The book provides an unedited account of her career and hardships, including two unsuccessful marriages that ended in divorce. Field revealed that her relationship with Reynolds was characterized by his domineering and violent behavior.

The intensity of their relationship seems to have derived from Field’s attempt to reproduce a version of her relationship with her stepfather, Jock Mahoney, who sexually assaulted her until she was 14. Reynolds and Field collaborated on four projects, and their friendship became a coping technique for Field.

Field’s Hollywood career has been defined by persistence and determination, motivating others to follow their aspirations and overcome obstacles. Despite beginning her climb to popularity playing Gidget on television in 1965, Field’s subsequent position as the Flying Nun from 1967 to 1970 was not as gratifying as she had imagined, and she wished to shift to cinema roles.

She recalls the difficulties of concealing her depression, even while eating extra food as a coping method. However, she admits that she could not understand what was happening to her or determine her simple objectives and aspirations. Despite repeated setbacks, Field persevered and achieved remarkable success, receiving two Academy Awards for her performances in Norma Rae in 1979 and Places in the Heart in 1984.

In a recent interview, Field also addressed pay discrepancies and the misquoting of her legendary Oscar acceptance speech, noting that hearing it taken out of context irritates her. She explained that the full remark, which says, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me, you really like me,” is often forgotten. Field stated her wish to fix the error by choosing a new word to convey the audience’s admiration for her work. She underlined the significance of acknowledging the hard effort that goes into performances in front of a critical audience, as many people do not comprehend the difficulties.