Who was James Redford? Robert Redford mourned loss of his two sons

Oscar-winning actor and director Robert Redford passed away at the age of 89 on September 16, 2025. His death was confirmed by Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK, in a statement to People Magazine.

Robert passed away at his home in Sundance, "the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved."

"He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy," she added.

Redford welcomed Scott, Shauna, James, and Amy Redford with his ex-wife, Lola Van Wagenen. However, Scott passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 2 ½ months old, followed by James in October 2020 from cancer.

Speaking about Scott's death in an interview with Esquire U.K. in 2017, Robert stated:

"I was only 21; my wife was 20. We were just starting our lives; I was just starting my career in New York. Of course it was traumatic, and how that plays out over time, I don't know. We had to deal with it. You have to move on. And we had other children who came. But something like that doesn't get completely dismissed. It probably shows up in various small ways you're not even aware of."

He further shared that losing Scott at such a young age was a traumatic experience, as "you're not equipped to deal with it." He also acknowledged seeking therapy to cope with the loss, but admitted that it never worked out.

"I tried a while back, two or three times. I found myself trying to psychoanalyze the analyst."

Subsequently, he lost his son James "Jamie" Redford to bile duct cancer in his liver at the age of 58.

Born in New York City in 1962, James was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis as an adult and later received two liver transplants in 1993. After his surgeries, he founded the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness, aiming to enlighten the public on organ and tissue donation.

In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, published on October 19, 2020, Jamie's wife, Kyle Redford, shared that his liver disease returned in 2019 and that the cancer in his liver was discovered in November 2019, while he was awaiting a liver transplant.

Meanwhile, she shared the news of his death in an X post on October 16, 2020. She wrote:

"Jamie died today. We’re heartbroken. He lived a beautiful, impactful life & was loved by many. He will be deeply missed. As his wife of 32 yrs, I’m most grateful for the two spectacular children we raised together. I don’t know what we would’ve done w/o them over the past 2yrs."

James is survived by his wife, son, and daughter, Dylan and Lena.

More about James Redford

According to his IMDb page, James Redford attended the University of Colorado and graduated with a bachelor's in literature, followed by a master's in literature at Northwestern University. He also co-founded The Redford Center in 2005 with Robert Redford.

Additionally, James wrote, directed, and produced multiple documentaries, including Watershed, Toxic Hot Seat, Mann v. Ford, The Kindness Of Strangers, and the 2007 film Spin.

Meanwhile, Robert Redford is survived by his wife Sibylle Szaggars Redford, whom he married in 2009, daughters Amy and Shauna, and grandchildren.