How Ted Turner Met Iconic Ex-Wife Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda and CNN founder Ted Turner may have ended their marriage more than two decades ago, but their relationship remained deeply meaningful long after their divorce.

CNN confirmed that Turner died on Wednesday, May 6, at age 87, following a years-long battle with Lewy body dementia, which he publicly disclosed in 2018.

The media mogul and environmental advocate was married to Fonda from 1991 until 2001.

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Years after their split, Fonda still spoke warmly about Turner and the life they once shared together.

“My favorite ex-husband!” she once said while greeting Turner at a charity auction shortly after their divorce, according to People.

In a 2008 interview, Fonda added, “I still have a very good relationship [with him]. Life is too short to be fighting.”

Their Romance Surprised Hollywood in the 1990s

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Fonda and Turner first connected in 1990 after the actress separated from her second husband, politician Tom Hayden.

According to Fonda, Turner personally reached out after getting her phone number and asked whether she was open to dating.

“He wanted to know if I was available to date,” Fonda told People in 1990. “I think I said I wasn’t feeling so hot, that he was an interesting guy, too, but I wasn’t feeling peppy.”

Their romance quickly became one of Hollywood’s most talked-about relationships.

Turner was known as a bold Southern businessman with conservative views, while Fonda had long been recognized for her outspoken activism and progressive politics.

Despite their differences, the pair formed a strong connection.

“Ted can keep up with me,” Fonda said, as per People. “He’s a very, very funny, lovable, complicated person.”

The couple married in 1991 at Turner’s Florida plantation, Avalon, surrounded by their blended family. Fonda brought three children into the marriage, while Turner had five children from previous relationships.

Jane Fonda Later Opened Up About Their Marriage Struggles

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Though their relationship included many joyful moments, Fonda later admitted their marriage also faced painful challenges.

In her 2005 memoir “My Life So Far,” the actress reflected candidly on their chemistry and emotional bond.

“[With Ted] there were lovemaking times when we’d lock eyes and melt into one. There were times when something would set us to laughing so hard we’d sink to the floor, like the night when our guffaws collapsed us at the foot of the “Gone With the Wind” staircase at his plantation, and we had to crawl up to bed on hands and knees,” Fonda wrote, as per an excerpt published on Opera’s Book Club.

Fonda later claimed she learned about Turner’s infidelity shortly after their wedding. Over time, their differences, including her growing Christian faith, created distance between them.

In 2000, the couple announced they were separating.

“While we continue to be committed to the long-term success of our marriage,” they said in a joint statement published by the Daily News in January 2000.

The statement added, “We find ourselves at a juncture where we must each take some personal time for ourselves.”

Fonda officially filed for divorce the following year, describing the marriage as “irretrievably broken.”

Fonda Honored Turner Months Before His Death

Even in recent years, Fonda continued acknowledging the impact Turner had on both her life and her activism.

During a speech at the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential’s 30th annual EmPower Party and gala in November, Fonda became emotional while discussing the charity they founded together in 1995.

“The organization never would have happened if it wasn’t for Ted,” she said, as reported by People in November 2025.

“It was a very challenging time in Georgia. Had I not been with Ted, this was something, had he not stood by me with his love and support, we never would have survived,” Fonda continued. “Ted’s not here, but he is here in my heart and I know he is here in a lot of our hearts.”

Following Turner’s death, CNN chairman Mark Thompson also paid tribute to the broadcasting pioneer’s legacy.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Thompson said in an official statement.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”

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