Inside Robert Redford's Second Marriage to His Artistic Soulmate, Sibylle Szaggars

In the final, tender decades of his remarkable life, Robert Redford shared a quiet yet enduring love story with a fellow artist — a partnership defined not by the glare of Hollywood but by shared purpose, devotion, and creativity.

Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars were together for nearly thirty years, marrying in silence and secrecy in 2009 after more than a decade of companionship. The ceremony — hidden away in Hamburg, Germany — was a world apart from red carpets, attended only by 30 of their dearest friends and family.

Redford, then 71, and Szaggars, 51, had already spent 13 years living as partners before they chose to wed. Their church ceremony, held in the Landscape Room at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel, followed a civil registry marriage. Pastor Frank Engelbrecht of St. Catherine's Church, who officiated, shared, "The wedding was very important to both of them."

Redford's fluency in German allowed the vows to be spoken in Szaggars's mother tongue. She walked down the aisle in a champagne-colored gown, while Redford appeared in a crisp white suit. Afterwards, guests were treated to an elaborate, yet understated, multi-course dinner.

Choosing Love Without Spectacle

Their decision to wed in Hamburg was not just sentimental but deliberate — a rejection of the media attention that often surrounds celebrity unions. For the couple, it was about meaning, not headlines. A second, more private wedding was reportedly planned for Mexico later that year.

The couple's bond stretched back to the late 1990s, when they first crossed paths at Sundance, the Utah artists' retreat founded by Redford. Szaggars had traveled there to ski. Though she recognized his name, she admitted she had little knowledge of his work — a detail that struck Redford as profoundly refreshing.

"That's one of the things that attracted me to her, she didn't know much about me," he revealed in a candid interview. "It began as two human beings meeting each other and finding a connection as two human beings, rather than being colored by success or whatever."

A Refreshing Innocence in the Shadow of Fame

Szaggars later confessed that before attending a dinner with him, she made a last-minute effort to understand his career. Renting several of his films, she watched only 15 minutes of each, skimming through his legacy "randomly."

"Of course, he did not talk about his films, so I was rescued and saved in a certain way," she recalled with a laugh. Redford was unguarded in his admiration for her.

"She's a very special person," he stated in 2011. "She's younger than I am, and European, which I like, so that's a whole new life."

For Redford, their relationship also fulfilled a deeper need — to be understood as an artist, not just as an actor. He often credited Szaggars, herself a lifelong multimedia artist, as the one who recognized and shared that essential part of him.

The Artist Who Captured the World's Landscapes

Szaggars, born in Hamburg, had already carved out a respected place in the international art world long before she became Mrs. Redford. Her creative journey spanned more than four decades and took her across continents.

From oil sketches and abstract watercolors shaped by weather patterns, to poignant travel photographs and sweeping stage works, her art carried the unmistakable mark of environmental passion. Her work graced galleries across Europe, Monaco, Japan, Peru, Suriname, Singapore, and the United States.

In 2016, her impact was formally recognized by the U.S. State Department's prestigious Art in Embassies Program. That same year, following a trip to Suriname's lush rainforests and Indigenous communities, ten of her site-specific works were permanently installed at the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo.

"From the beginning of my [career] as an artist," Szaggars once explained, "nature was the force that inspired me to be an activist from within my art, warning of the impending dangers of extinction, but also pointing out through color and beauty how incredible this earth is."

Art That Warned of Extinction and Celebrated Beauty

In 2013, Szaggars unveiled one of her most ambitious creations — a multimedia performance titled "The Way of the Rain," developed with Icelandic composer David Thor Jonsson. This hauntingly beautiful performance wove together music, film, dance, spoken word, and her silk rain paintings.

The piece was more than art; it was a wake-up call, designed to honor nature while demanding attention to climate change and Earth's fragility. In 2015, she cemented her mission by founding The Way of the Rain, Inc., a nonprofit devoted to raising environmental awareness through the power of artistic expression.

As the world came to a halt in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, Szaggars only expanded her vision. She partnered with composer Tim Janis and Redford himself to craft a video series titled "The Way of the Rain – Reflections on Earth."

Framed as a "gift of hope to the world," the shorts resonated deeply and were screened across the globe — from the Virtual Earth X Conference to United Nations Oceans Day and the National Geographic Conference.

Through them, Szaggars highlighted the planet's delicate ecosystems and biodiversity, carrying forward her tireless mission to "create art that transcends words, languages, cultures and politics."

The Couple Who Avoided the Spotlight but Not Each Other

Though intensely private, Redford and Szaggars did make rare joint appearances at defining moments. They were spotted at the glittering Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, at artistic galas in New York and Monaco, and on red carpets at the Golden Globes and the Princess Grace Awards.

The photographs from these events paint a consistent portrait — Szaggars at his side in understated elegance, favoring black, white, or bold primary colors, while Redford embodied timeless style in classic tuxedos and suits.

Away from the public gaze, the couple retreated to Redford's secluded country house in the mountains of Utah. There, they nurtured a life built on artistry and activism — far removed from the frenzied Hollywood spotlight that had once consumed him.

Together, they cultivated a love that reflected not fame or spectacle, but creativity, commitment, and a shared vision for a better world. Here's a look at the couple through the years — from early appearances to some of their most memorable public moments together.

2008

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