Sally Fields Claims Ex Burt Reynolds Was Jealous of Her Stardom, Couldn't Handle the 'Buzz' Ahead of Award Night

Sally Field claimed that her ex Burt Reynolds let envy get the best of him as her star was on the rise, detailing how he was "not happy" with her career buzz ahead of the 1980 Academy Awards.

The Forrest Gump star recalled the strained connection they had at the time in Dave Karger's new book 50 Oscar Nights, in which stars and filmmakers discuss their Academy Award wins and share never-before-told tales from over the years.

"He really was not a nice guy around me then," she shared, RadarOnline.com has learned.

At the time, Field had become the talk of Hollywood for her performance in Norma Rae, taking home a Golden Globe Award and later an Oscar for Best Actress.

"He did not want me to go to the Cannes [Film Festival] at all," Field shared about her past. She claimed he said, "You don't think you're going to win anything, do you?'"

In an excerpt obtained by PEOPLE ahead of its release, the Mrs. Doubtfire actress said his attitude had not improved by the time the Oscars came around, noting he wasn't going to attend the highly anticipated event with her.

Actor-comedian David Steinberg and his then-wife, Judy, made the experience special for her, the film star shared. Field admitted that she at first "didn't know what to do" about not having a date to the star-studded ceremony.

"Then David said, 'Well, for God's sakes, we’ll take you.' He and Judy made it a big celebration. They picked me up in a limousine and had champagne in the car. They made it just wonderful fun."

Field dated Reynolds for five years in the late '70s and early '80s after forming a bond on Smokey and the Bandit, the first of four movies they both appeared in.

Reynolds died in 2018 at age 82.

Field previously said that he was a "highly important part of her life" although their time together was brief, noting that she really "didn't speak to him for the last 30 years of his life" during a 2018 appearance on The View.

"I knew early on never to mention the men who had been in my life," she also detailed about their relationship in her memoir, In Pieces. "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."

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Reynolds shared strong feelings for Field, apparently having considered the star "the one that got away." As for why they split, he once told director Adam Rifkin, "I screwed up."