A look back at Ted Turner and Jane Fonda’s unusual and intense relationship that moved from a bold beginning to a difficult breakup, yet never fully lost its emotional connection.
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Ted Turner-Jane Fonda reslationship: Ted Turner, the powerful media entrepreneur who changed how the world watched television, has died at the age of 87. His death was confirmed through a statement from Turner Enterprises.
Turner spent his final years away from public life after revealing in September 2018 that he was living with Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder that affects memory and thinking skills. Over time, the illness slowly changed the way he lived and interacted with the world.
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He passed away at his home near Tallahassee, Florida on May 6. His life ended quietly, far from the loud world of media and sports that he once dominated.
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For decades, Turner had been known as a bold and restless figure in American business and culture. Even as his health declined, his influence on television, sports broadcasting, and global media remained part of everyday life.
Ted Turner’s name is tied to some of the biggest changes in modern television. He helped create the idea of 24-hour news when he launched CNN, a channel that would broadcast news around the clock. This idea changed how people around the world followed events.
He built what he called a “superstation,” making deals for sports broadcasting that broke old industry rules.
Turner’s life was not limited to media business. He stepped directly into sports as well. He won the America’s Cup, one of the most respected sailing competitions in the world. And, he also owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team during a historic period when they went on to win the World Series.
In 1991, Time Magazine named him “Man of the Year”.
The relationship between Ted Turner and actress Jane Fonda began in a way that sounded almost like a film script.
In 1988, just one day after Fonda’s divorce from politician Tom Hayden was announced, her phone rang. On the line was Turner, someone she had met only once before.
Fonda later wrote in her memoir that Turner’s voice came through the phone in a loud, booming way. He asked directly if the divorce news was true. When she confirmed it, still emotionally fragile, he quickly followed with a surprising question, whether she would go out with him.
Fonda was shocked and unsure. She did not say yes immediately. Instead, she told him to call back in three months. Turner did exactly that.
When they finally met for their first date, Turner greeted her and even hugged her at the end. He asked if he could call again the next day, and he did.
Soon after, he invited her to his ranch in Montana. During that visit, Fonda saw a very direct and unfiltered side of him. He spoke openly, sometimes bluntly, about everything in his life, including her career. At one point, he even joked that she needed someone as successful as him, while also claiming he was more successful than her.
Fonda also remembered moments of humour and ease between them. On one occasion, they laughed so hard together that they collapsed on the floor inside Turner’s property, near a grand staircase inspired by “Gone with the Wind,” and had to crawl upstairs still laughing.
Ted Turner and Jane Fonda got married in 1991 at his Avalon estate after being in a relationship for nearly two years. Both had been married before, making this the third marriage for each of them.
Their relationship quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity pairings of the time. They were often seen at major public events together, moving between politics, entertainment, and global discussions.
In 1990, before their marriage, they attended a meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin. During the three-hour discussion, Fonda later wrote that Gorbachev often spoke directly to her. Turner, who was used to being the center of attention, later joked that he spent much of the meeting observing from the side and described it as time spent “staring at Gorbachev’s back.”
In 1992, they appeared together at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where global leaders gathered to discuss environmental issues.
At Turner’s insistence, Fonda stepped away from her acting career during their marriage. This shift changed her public life, moving her more into activism and global advocacy alongside him.
Just over a month after their wedding on December 21, 1991, Fonda discovered that Turner was having an affair. The confrontation happened outside CNN Center in Atlanta.
Fonda later described the moment in detail. She said Turner appeared pale when he got into the car. In a burst of anger, she struck him with a car phone and poured water over his head. She also told him directly that the relationship was over, saying she was leaving.
Jane later reflected that even in that emotional moment, part of her mind noticed how it could have looked like a scene from a film. She admitted that such a reaction was not typical for her, but said she had never felt that level of anger before.
Turner begged for forgiveness. Fonda agreed to stay, but only on the condition that he would not betray her again and would attend counseling with her.
For several years after that, Turner kept his promise. Fonda later wrote that those years still held many moments of happiness, even though the trust had been damaged.
However, by 2000, the relationship had broken down again. The couple announced their separation that year, and their divorce was finalized in 2001.
After the divorce, neither Turner nor Fonda married again. Despite the end of their marriage, both spoke publicly at different times about still caring for each other.
In a 2012 interview with Piers Morgan, Turner said that when you truly love someone, that feeling does not disappear, even if the relationship ends.
After Turner’s death, Fonda shared a tribute on Instagram. She described him as a “swashbuckling pirate” who entered her life with charm, humor, and intensity. She also wrote that he had a big life, a sharp mind, and a strong sense of humour.
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She reflected on his achievements in media and sports, including CNN, Turner Classic Movies, and his victory in the America’s Cup. She said he made her feel needed in a way she had never experienced before.
Fonda also connected his life to the environment, mentioning his efforts in wildlife conservation. She referred to species such as black-footed ferrets, prairie dogs, bison, wolves, and woodpeckers that benefited from his conservation work. In her message, she imagined them gathered in appreciation of him.
She ended her tribute by saying he would be remembered and loved.
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