Ted Turner, the media mogul who founded CNN and revolutionized cable television, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87. His death has brought renewed attention to his relationship with actress Jane Fonda, whom he married in 1991 and divorced in 2001.
Fonda, an Oscar-winning actress and political activist, once referred to Turner as her 'favourite ex-husband' during a chance encounter at a charity auction a year after their divorce. The comment, reported by People magazine, highlighted the enduring affection between the two despite their separation.
An Unlikely Couple
On the surface, Turner, a billionaire from Atlanta, and the politically active Fonda seemed an unlikely pair. However, Fonda saw beyond their differences. 'Ted can keep up with me,' she told People. 'He's a very, very funny, lovable, complicated person.' The two began dating in 1990, shortly after Fonda's split from her second husband, Tom Hayden, and married a year later at Turner's plantation in Capps, Florida.
Marriage Revealed in Memoir
In her 2005 memoir, My Life So Far, Fonda shared intimate details of their marriage. She described passionate moments and laughter that brought them together. 'Still, there were the lovemaking times when we would lock eyes and melt into one,' she wrote in an excerpt published on Oprah.com. 'There were the 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 Avalon plantation and we had to crawl up to bed on hands and knees.'
However, the marriage faced challenges. Fonda revealed that about a month after their wedding, she discovered Turner had been unfaithful. Differences, including Fonda's conversion to Christianity in their final year of marriage, ultimately led to their divorce in 2001.
Lasting Bond
Despite the breakup, the love and respect between Turner and Fonda endured. As recently as November 2025, Fonda spoke lovingly of Turner at an event for the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential, a charity they co-founded 30 years ago. 'Ted's not here, but he is here in my heart and I know he is here in a lot of our hearts,' she said, according to People.
Turner's cause of death has not been disclosed, but he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018. He is survived by his children and his legacy as a pioneer in cable news.
