From contracting polio at 11 to losing his first born child: Tragic life of Robert Redford explored

Actor and director Robert Redford passed away on September 16, at the age of 89. Publicist Cindi Berger told CNN that the actor was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his demise at his house in Utah. Known for acting in movies like Indecent Proposal and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford led quite a tragic life.

Redford is also known to keep his personal life private, hence, not much headlines have been about him. However, according to reports, the actor had faced many hardships in life, despite enjoying an iconic and successful career. One of the toughest phases that he went through as a child, was getting diagnosed with polio at the age of 11.

He then had a near-death experience as a teenager, according to reports by Nicki Swift. At the age of 18, the actor happened to lose his mother due to a blood disorder. As a child, Robert had a second father-figure named David, with whom he developed a strong bond. But, in 1945, his Uncle David died in a crossfire.

In 1959, he lost his 10-week old son Scott, due to a condition called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Robert Redford was good friends with Natalie Wood, who died mysteriously in the year 1981. In 2020, he went through the tragedy of losing another son, James, to liver cancer.

From facing near death experience to witnessing deaths of loved ones and failed relationships, Robert saw it all in his personal life.

Exploring more about the hardships of Robert Redford's life

Robert Redford's polio diagnosis was first talked about in the 2011 book called Robert Redford: The Biography. Fortunately, it was not a severe case and the actor had to spend weeks in bedrest. In 2018, he told NPR, that getting diagnosed with this ailment was tough at the time. He said,

"Before the Salk vaccine was discovered, what hung over your childhood was always the fear of polio because all you saw were people in iron lungs."

The story of him almost sustaining severe injuries during a dare as a kid, was also mentioned in the 2011 memoir. The actor was asked by his gang to jump off a relatively high building to "prove his manliness." The gang would often do petty theft and steal alcohol from nearby stores. This phase of the actor's life ended at the age of 16, when he was arrested.

In 1955, he lost his mother, Martha Redford, after suffering from a hemorrhage, at the age of only 40. In February 2018, he spoke to Closer Weekly about his mother and her beliefs. He said,

"She believed that all things considered, she just had faith that I had something in me that was going to turn out okay."

In 1958, Redford tied the knot with historian Lola Van Wagenen. After being together for about three decades, the former couple decided to call it quits, in 1985. In 2001, Redford told The Telegraph, that the decision to opt for divorce was a mutual one and that they remained good friends. 

Netizens have flooded social media platforms with tributes and condolences to the late actor.