The title compound, C32H35NO4, is an unexpected product obtained in the SmI2-mediated radical cross-coupling of a lactam 2-pyridyl sulfone with an arone. The asymmetric unit contains two mol-ecules. In both mol-ecules, the core pyrrolidinone ring adopts an approximate envelope conformation (with the C atom bearling the benzyloxy substituent as the flap) and the cyclo-hexyl ring has a chair conformation. The relative orientation of the two substitutent groups at the 4- and 5-positions of the pyrrolidinone ring is anti in both mol-ecules, with O(benz-yloxy)-C-C-C(benzene) torsion angles of 150.8 (3) and 154.2 (2)°. In the crystal, C-H⋯O inter-actions involving carbonyl groups as acceptors lead to the formation of a tape motif propagating parallel to the a-axis direction.