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Fonda: Ted Turner's Need for Me Was Transformative
6 May
Summary
- Jane Fonda described Ted Turner as a 'swashbuckling pirate' who made her feel needed.
- She credited Turner for boosting her self-confidence and believing in herself.
- Fonda fondly recalled Turner's competitive spirit and strategic intellect.

Jane Fonda shared a touching tribute to her former husband, media mogul Ted Turner, who passed away at 87. She fondly remembered him as a "gloriously handsome, deeply romantic, swashbuckling pirate" whose arrival in her life was transformative.
Fonda emphasized that Turner's need for her made her feel uniquely valued, a feeling she hadn't experienced before. She stated that Turner, the creator of CNN and a renowned sailor, significantly boosted her self-confidence and belief in herself.
She also lauded Turner's intellectual prowess, noting his strategic abilities honed through studying classics and his success in business. His competitive spirit, likened to Katharine Hepburn's, was a source of fascination for Fonda.
Fonda expressed enduring love for Turner and reflected on his significant conservation work, envisioning him being thanked by the wildlife he helped save. She also acknowledged the complexities of his children's lives.
CNN Worldwide chairman and CEO Mark Thompson remembered Turner as an "intensely involved and committed leader," calling him the "presiding spirit of CNN."
Turner had been battling Lewy body dementia.