'He will be in my history and my heart for as long as I live,' the actress says of her late ex-boyfriend, whom she dated for years.
- September 7, 2018
AceShowbiz - Sally Field has added her tribute to "Smokey and the Bandit" co-star and real-life lover Burt Reynolds, insisting he will live on in her heart.
The 82-year-old Hollywood legend died on Thursday, September 06, after suffering a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Florida.
Condolences for his family flooded in on social media, and now one of his greatest loves has offered up a few words to mark his passing.
"There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away. They stay alive, even forty years later," Sally writes in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy."
The couple dated for many years after meeting in the late 1970s, but Field's soaring success drove a wedge between the stars, prompting them to part ways.
In Reynolds' 2015 memoir, titled "But Enough About Me", he had nothing but good things to say about his ex, and made it clear he still pined for her, insisting she was always "the one who got away".
Meanwhile, Burt's niece, Nancy Lee Hess, has issued the family's first statement about the star's death, admitting it has come as a shock to his loved ones.
"My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans and acting students," she shares. "He has had health issues, however, this (his death) was totally unexpected. He was tough..."
Nancy also revealed that Burt, who underwent heart surgery in 2010, had not filmed his planned role in Quentin Tarantino's forthcoming movie "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", although it was a job he was very much "looking forward to" as it featured an "amazing cast," including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino.
The filmmaker has yet to comment on Reynolds' death.
