Robert Redford Reportedly Set To Have An Un-Hollywood-Like Funeral

Robert Redford's final wishes have been unveiled days after his passing! 

The Hollywood legend took his final breath on Tuesday, September 16, marking the end of his illustrious career as an actor, director, and producer. He lived and died in Utah away from the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry, with new reports confirming his funeral will follow the same quiet tradition.

Robert Redford has received numerous tributes from fans and celebrities, including the family of his famous collaborator and longtime pal, Paul Newman.

According to new reports, Redford's final wish was to have a quiet funeral away from Hollywood. He did not want a glitzy sendoff; instead, he left specific instructions for a low-key event and a guest list comprising only his family.

"No red carpets. No cameras. No Hollywood circus. The family requests privacy," a spokesperson for Redford shared. A source echoed similar sentiments, noting "there won't be a parade of A-listers" at the funeral because Redford disliked the noise.

"That was his nightmare. He wanted peace, not pomp," the source added. Based on these claims, Hollywood insider Rob Shuter reported on Substack that the funeral would have Redford's wife, daughters, and seven grandchildren in attendance.

A longtime friend of Redford's noted the low-key funeral arrangement resonated with the type of man he was. "He hated the noise of celebrity. Sundance was his sanctuary, and that's where he wanted his story to end," they explained.

Redford took his final breath at his cabin in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. The statement announcing his death described the property as "the place he loved," adding that he passed away surrounded by loved ones.

Before cementing his legacy in Utah, Redford lived in Tiburon, California. Locals from the coastal town recently addressed his passing, with The Blast reporting that someone claimed Redford was never the same after the death of his third eldest child.

Redford welcomed four children, two sons and two daughters, during his first marriage to Lola Van Wagenen. His firstborn, Scott, died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 2 ½ months old in November 1959, while his second son and third eldest child, James, died from bile-duct cancer in 2020.

A waiter from Tiburon claimed the loss of his second son was a pain Redford never stopped carrying, noting he frequently talked about how much he missed his third eldest child. "It was hard for him to live without his boy," the local lamented.

"It took a toll on him to see his son die like that," the waiter continued, claiming "there was an intense sadness to him" following the tragedy. They added that Redford resembled someone who had lost a part of himself without his son; however, he never failed to cherish the time he had with others.

During his life, Redford took two trips down the aisle, first to Van Wagenen in 1958 and then to Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. He and his first wife tied the knot in their early twenties with only $300 to their name. The late actor revealed in a 2001 interview that they borrowed a car to get home from the ceremony.

The death of their first child was a traumatic ordeal for the young parents, with Redford once confessing that they lacked knowledge about SIDS and inadvertently blamed themselves for their son's death. They went on to have three more children before separating in the mid-'80s after over 20 years of marriage.

Following their divorce, Redford stayed single and prioritized his career for years until love came knocking on the door. He met German visual artist and environmental activist Szaggars at his Sundance Mountain Resort in 1996. They tied the knot in 2009 and were together for 16 years before Redford's passing, per PEOPLE.

The beloved actor rose to fame alongside the late Hollywood legend Paul Newman. The latter's daughter, Nell Newman, reflected on their years-long bond while honoring Redford's death. The Blast shared that she claimed the late entertainers had "a really strong bond."

She noted that the pals had a positive impact on each other, and she believed that Redford influenced her father's interest in environmental issues. Nell stressed that their bond was built on and off the screen through "pranks and mutual respect."

Nell recalled some of their antics, claiming Redford once gifted her dad a dented, engine-less Porsche as a birthday joke. Her father responded by having the car crushed and sent back to Redford. Paul died in September 2008, 17 years before his pal.

Will Robert Redford's quiet funeral guest list make an exception for his longtime pal's daughter?