Jane Fonda. Monica Schipper/FilmMagic
Jane Fonda comes from a family of Hollywood stars.
Socialite Frances Ford Seymour and the famous American actor Henry Fonda, who were married from 1936 until her death in 1950, welcomed Jane in 1937, followed by son Peter Fonda in 1940. Seymour had previously welcomed daughter Frances de Villers Brokaw from her first marriage, while Henry went on to adopt daughter Amy Fishman in 1953 with his third wife, Susan Blanchard.
Jane has opened up about feeling alone most of her childhood after her mother died by suicide when she was only 12 years old and her father was often away working.
“My mother died and I didn’t know where to get answers. … I spent a lot of my adolescence really, really scared,” she shared with People in March 2014.
The Academy Award winning actress went on to have three children: daughter Vanessa Vadim with ex-husband Roger Vadim in 1968 and son Troy O’ Donovan Garity in 1973 followed by adopting daughter Mary Luana Williams in 1983.
Keep scrolling to learn more about Jane’s family:
Frances Ford Seymour
Before her marriage to Henry, Jane’s mother was married to George Tuttle Brokaw from 1931 until his death in 1935. The pair had one daughter, Frances de Villers Brokaw. Nearly one year after George’s death, Frances married Henry in 1936 and went on to welcome Jane in 1937 and Peter in 1940. In 1950, while a patient at the Craig House Sanitarium, Frances died by suicide months after Henry asked for a divorce.
Jane has previously opened up about the tragedy of her mother’s suicide and later discovering she was bipolar.
“If you have a parent who is not capable of showing up, not capable of reflecting you back through eyes of love, it has a big impact on your sense of self,” she told People in September 2018. “As a child, you always think it was your fault … because the child can’t blame the adult, because they depend on the adult for survival. It takes a long time to get over the guilt.”
Henry Fonda
Jane’s father was a popular Hollywood star, appearing in famous films such as Young Mr. Lincoln, The Grapes of Wrath and 12 Angry Men. Prior to his marriage with Frances, Henry was married to Margaret Sullavan from 1931 to 1933. Following Frances’ death by suicide in 1950, Henry wed his mistress Susan Blanchard later that year. They adopted daughter Amy in 1953 before divorcing in 1956. Henry then married Adfera Franchetti from 1957 to 1961 before moving on with Shirlee Mae Adams in 1965. Henry stayed with Adams until his death in 1982.
Although Jane and Henry had a strained relationship for most of her life, before he died Jane was able to tell him that she “loved him” and “forgave him” for “whatever didn’t happen.”
“And I hope that he would forgive me for not being a better daughter. I got to say that to him,” Jane explained in an appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace in February 2023. “He didn’t say anything. But he wept. I had never seen that before. I’d never seen my father break down and weep. And I — it was, it was powerful.”
Peter Fonda
Jane’s younger brother was born in 1940. Following in his father’s footsteps, Peter began acting at a young age and starred in critically acclaimed films such as Easy Rider, The Hired Hand, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, Futureworld and Ulee’s Gold. Throughout his career, Peter was nominated for two Academy Awards and won two Golden Globes.
As for his romantic life, Peter married Susan Brewer in 1961 and welcomed daughter Bridget and son Justin in 1964 and 1966, respectively. Brewer and Peter divorced in 1974 and Peter remarried Portia Rebecca Crockett in 1975. The pair called it quits in 2011. Later that year, Peter wed Margaret DeVogelaere and the couple stayed together until his death from lung cancer in 2019.
Peter and Jane were very close throughout his life — and Jane had a difficult time dealing with his passing.
“I’m very sad,” she said in a statement to People in August 2019. “He was my sweet-hearted baby brother, the talker of the family. I have had beautiful alone time with him these last days. He went out laughing.”
Amy Fishman
Henry and Blanchard adopted Jane’s sister, Amy, in 1953. While she has chosen to keep her life out of the spotlight, it was revealed that Henry left his estate to Amy and wife Shirlee.
Frances de Villers Brokaw
Born in 1931 to mom Frances and George Tuttle Brokaw, Frances is the half-sister of Jane and Peter. Frances kept her life private before her death at 77 in March 2008.
Roger Vadim
Roger, a French screenwriter and film director, married Jane in August 1965. The pair welcomed daughter Vanessa in 1968 before calling it quits in January 1973.
“He had tremendous charm but we were very different,” Jane told People in May 2023 regarding her marriage to Roger.
Vanessa Vadim
Roger and Jane welcomed Vanessa in 1968. After attending Brown University from 1985 to 1989, Vanessa began a career as a director and cinematographer and went on to work on films such as The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, Jane Fonda in Five Acts and Blue is Beautiful. She is also an activist and has participated in protests such as the “Fire Drill Fridays” climate demonstrations in 2019.
Vanessa was previously married to Matt Arnett. Vanessa later tied the knot with Paul Van Waggoner in June 2010. Vanessa is mom to son Malcolm and daughter Viva, born in 1999 and 2002, respectively.
Tom Hayden
Hayden, an American politician and activist, was married to Jane from 1973 to 1990. The pair welcomed son Troy in 1973 and adopted daughter Mary in 1983.
Although it didn’t work out between the twosome, Jane later praised Hayden in an interview.
“I needed someone far wiser and more knowledgeable than I was about movement-building and politics and all of that,” she shared with The New Yorker in September 2018. “And he had this depth of knowledge, and he gave me structure and guidance, and I learned so much from him that I am forever grateful for.”
Troy O’Donovan Garity
Hayden and Jane welcomed Troy in 1973. He went on to follow in his mother’s footsteps starring in the Barbershop film series and Soldier’s Girl. Troy also had recurring roles in Boss and Ballers. Aside from acting, Troy is the founder of the Peace Process Network, an international gang-violence prevention coalition, and the chairman of Homies Unidos, a gang-violence prevention group in Los Angeles.
Troy married Simone Bent in 2007.
Mary Luana Williams
Mary was born to Black Panther members and had a tumultuous early childhood before she was taken in by Fonda and Hayden at the age of 16. She later dedicated her life to humanitarian work, particularly aiding refugees and victims of war in Africa. Mary went on to write the memoir A Lost Daughter in 2013 about her life experiences.
Ted Turner
Jane married CNN founder Turner in 1991. The duo divorced in 2001.
“He was sexy. He was brilliant. He had two million acres by the time I left. It would have been easy to stay,” Jane shared in her 2018 documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts. “But there was this angel on my shoulder … it was hard to even hear her voice, [saying], ‘If you stay, you will die without ever becoming who you can be. You will not really be authentic.”
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