Jane Fonda is mourning the death of her ‘very romantic’ ex-husband Ted Turner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nJane Fonda has broken her silence following the death of her ex-husband Ted Turner.<\/p>\n
On May 6, 2026, CNN founder Turner died at the age of 87 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, a disease he had battled since 2018.<\/p>\n
Taking to her Instagram soon after the sad news of her ex-husband’s passing broke, Fonda, who were married to her from 1991 to 2001, wrote a heartfelt note to pay tribute to Turner.<\/p>\n
“He came into my life, a stunningly handsome, deeply romantic, adventurous pirate, and I’ve never been the same,” the 88-year-old American actress and activist began.<\/p>\n
She wrote, “He needed me. No one ever told me they needed me, and it wasn’t your average human being who needed me, it was the creator of CNN and Turner Classic Movies, who won the America’s Cup as the World’s Greatest Sailor. He had a big life, a brilliant mind, and a brilliant sense of humor.”<\/p>\n
Living with Turner was “transformative” for her, as he took care of Fonda, which was a completely new experience for her.<\/p>\n
“Ted Turner helped me believe in myself. He gave me confidence. I think I did the same for him, but that’s what women are raised to do. Men like Ted shouldn’t express neediness and vulnerability. I believe that was Ted’s greatest strength,” barbarella <\/i>Starr accepted.<\/p>\n
What Fonda learned under Turner’s guidance far exceeded what “any other person or school classes” could have taught her.<\/p>\n
He explained, “Ted was highly strategic. It was probably innate, but he studied the classics in college, knew the ins and outs of the Peloponnesian War and the strategies used by Alexander the Great and even Genghis Khan. And while sailing larger yachts he honed those strategic talents, which he brought to bear on his business with great success. He could certainly look around.”<\/p>\n
“Ted was challenging, but I’ve always been up for a challenge, and with Ted it was almost always worth it,” Jane Fonda concluded with a surprising confession.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n