Sally Field Reacts to Burt Reynolds Calling Her the 'Love of His Life'

On Thursday, Burt Reynolds revealed in Vanity Fair‘s December issue that he is still enamored with ex-girlfriend Sally Field, calling her the love of his life.

Hours later on the red carpet at the Women’s Media Center Awards in New York City, Field, 69, heard the news for the first time and told PEOPLE she would like to keep her response private.

“I didn’t hear that yet,” said Field. “I have no response, really, and any response I would have would belong to him.”

The Hollywood couple dated for five years and split in the ’80s after starring in four films together.

Reynolds, 79, who later married Loni Anderson before divorcing in 1994, also told Vanity Fair, “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.”

Sally has since married Alan Greisman, whom she divorced in 1993, and has three sons.

The Deliverance star is releasing his memoir, But Enough About Me, on Nov. 17.