Hollywood icon Jane Fonda showed up. And the world noticed. The Academy Award-winning actress, 88, made her first public appearance since the passing of her ex-husband Ted Turner on Tuesday, May 12, walking the red carpet at the 79th Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony in Cannes, France.
Jane Fonda Steps Out at Cannes 2026 in First Appearance Since Ted Turner’s Passing
GettyFonda arrived in a shimmery black dress and posed alongside Demi Moore before taking the stage with actress Gong Li to officially open one of cinema’s most prestigious annual events. See more photos here.
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GettyIt was a moment that carried far more weight than a typical red carpet appearance.
Turner passed away Sunday, May 6, just six days before Fonda’s Cannes appearance. He was 87.
‘Cinema Has Always Been an Act of Resistance’: Jane Fonda’s Powerful Opening Night Speech
GettyOnce onstage, Fonda did not hold back. She delivered a passionate speech that felt both timely and deeply personal, speaking directly to the power of storytelling and the responsibility that comes with it.
“I believe that cinema has always been an act of resistance, because we tell stories and stories are what make a civilization,” Fonda said, as reported by Variety.
Getty“Stories that bring empathy to the marginalized, stories that allow us to feel across difference. Stories that let us see that there is an alternative future that is possible.”
Who Was Ted Turner and What He Meant to Jane Fonda
Turner was one of the most consequential figures in modern American media.
He founded CNN and Turner Broadcasting System and was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018 before his passing at 87. Fonda was his third wife.
The couple was married from 1991 to 2001. Turner was also Fonda’s third husband, following her previous marriages to Roger Vadim and Tom Hayden.
GettyThough she filed for divorce in 2001, Fonda has consistently spoken about the relationship with warmth, once calling Turner her “favorite ex-husband”, as reported by People.
Shortly after Turner’s passing, Fonda posted a moving tribute on Instagram that captured the depth of their bond.
“Ted Turner helped me believe in myself. He gave me confidence,” she wrote.
“I think I did the same for him, but that’s what women are raised to do. Men like Ted aren’t supposed to express need and vulnerability. That was Ted’s greatest strength, I believe.”
She reflected on everything he taught her over the years.
“He also taught me more than any other person or school classes, mostly about nature and wildlife, hunting and fishing (hunters and fishermen who follow the law are the best environmentalists), but also about business and strategy,” Fonda continued. “Ted was supremely strategic.”
She noted that he “had a big life, a brilliant mind and a soaring sense of humor.”
For Fonda, Tuesday night at Cannes was not just a red carpet. It was a statement. She showed up, dressed in black, and reminded the world that life and art go on.
