In her 2018 autobiography, “Pieces of Me,” Sally Field shared the previously untold truth about her relationship with Burt Reynolds. As it turns out, one of the biggest issues they faced as a couple was Reynold’s need to control her all the time.
For starters, he was incredibly possessive. In “Pieces of Me,” Field recounted that she was afraid of running into men she knew, exes or otherwise. If she did, she explained, “Burt would pinch my face in his hands, demanding I tell him who the guy was and what kind of relationship I’d had with him.” That wasn’t all. He also forced her to wear body makeup when he believed she was too pale, and even tried to stop her from playing the titular role in “Norma Rae.” Reynolds’ take, when Field had told him about the part, was, “No lady of mine is gonna play a wh***.”
Field ended up taking the role anyway and was even nominated as that year’s Best Actress at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscars. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Reynolds refused to go to both. Of the Cannes incident, she revealed in Dave Karger’s “50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars 7 Filmmakers on their Career-defining Wins,” “He said, ‘You don’t think you’re going to win anything, do you?'” The joke was on Reynolds — Field won both.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
