No parent should outlive one of their children, let alone two. But that’s the situation that Robert Redford and his ex-wife Lola Van Wagenen faced in October 2020 when son James passed away from liver cancer at the age of just 58.
James Redford, who was born three years after the death of his baby brother Scott, had suffered from liver problems throughout his life. He underwent liver transplant surgery in 1993 and later founded an institute for awareness about the procedure. Sadly, while awaiting a new transplant in 2019, the documentary filmmaker was diagnosed with bile-duct cancer. A year later, his wife Kyle, also the mother to his two children, confirmed on Twitter that he’d succumbed to the disease: “We’re heartbroken. He lived a beautiful, impactful life and was loved by many.”
In a statement given to People magazine, publicist Cindi Berger revealed that Robert was “mourning with his family during this difficult time and asks for privacy.” She continued, “The grief is immeasurable with the loss of a child. Jamie was a loving son, husband and father. His legacy lives on through his children, art, filmmaking and devoted passion to conservation and the environment.”