To millions, Robert Redford represented the golden age of Hollywood — handsome, successful and seemingly untouchable.

But behind that famous face was a family story marked by devastating loss.

Redford and his former wife, Lola Van Wagenen, welcomed four children. Their first son, Scott, died in infancy in 1959 from sudden infant death syndrome. Redford later acknowledged how little was understood about the condition at the time and how painful the loss remained.

Decades later, tragedy struck the family again.

Their son James “Jamie” Redford, a filmmaker and environmental activist, endured serious health problems throughout his life. In October 2020, he died from cancer at just 58.

Redford generally kept his deepest family grief away from the Hollywood spotlight. After Jamie’s death, his representative said the actor was mourning with his family and described the grief of losing a child as immeasurable.

Behind the awards, famous movies and unforgettable image was a father who experienced something success could never protect him from.

Robert Redford’s life may have looked extraordinary from the outside, but some of his most important chapters were also his most painful.