“I miss her terribly”: Burt Reynolds opens up about women and the one that got away

He was known for being a womaniser but now Burt Reynolds has opened up about his biggest regrets, including the famous actress he wishes he hadn’t let go.

In an interview for his new book But Enough About Me: A Memoir, Burt Reynolds sat down with Vanity Fair and talked about rumours and loves of his life, which he said are “certain regrets and issues I’ve lived with”.

Burt wanted to set the record straight about rumours that he was going bankrupt last year, fuelled by an auction of more than 600 personal items up for auction in Las Vegas.

Reynolds told ET that he was “not broke” and “That pisses me off. That’s one of the rare things that does piss me off.”

“I’m not bankrupt, by any means. I’m not even worried about it”.

“I’ve lost more money than is possible because I just haven’t watched it,” he said. “I’ve still done well in terms of owning property and things like that. But I haven’t been somebody who’s been smart about his money. There are a couple of actors who are quite brilliant with the way they’ve handled their money”.

And although the 79-year-old says he trust the wrong people with his money, his philandering cost him more in the long run.

Reynolds told Vanity Fair that Sally Field, who he dated in the ’70s, is the “love of my life”.

“I miss her terribly,” he said. “Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up”.

Reynolds still can’t believe he blew it with Sally Field, whom he terms the “love of my life.” The relationship ended in the 1980s. “I miss her terribly,” he says. “Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up.”

“There isn’t anything, no matter how good it is, or how good it tastes, or how much fun it is, where too much is good for you. It can destroy you. And you have to learn. It’s a hard lesson. But you have to learn to back off and do as good as you can in your chosen profession. And don’t screw it up. And the best way to screw it up is having too much of a good thing”.

Over the years the actor has been linked to Inger Stevens, Tammy Wynette, Lucie Arnaz, Adrienne Barbeau, Susan Clark, Sally Field, Lorna Luft, Tawny Little, Pam Seals, Dinah Shore and Chris Evert. He was married to Judy Carne from 1963 to 1965, and Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1993.

His biggest regret overall? “I would have spent more money and had a lot more fun”!

UPDATE: SALLY RESPONDS

Hours after the interview with Burt was revealed, Sally Fields was on the red carpet at the Women’s Media Center Awards in New York City. She heard the news about how Burt feels for the first time and told PEOPLE, “I didn’t hear that yet. I have no response, really, and any response I would have would belong to him”.

Tell us, do you love Burt Reynolds? Do you think he should have stayed with Sally Fields?