83-Year-Old Jane Fonda Says She Loves Being Alone Without 'A Husband Or A Lover' In Interview

Mar 02, 2021

An actress, author, fitness expert, feminist, and activist, Jane Fonda is a true multi-hyphenate. Known for being one of the most beautiful women in the world, Jane is not only gorgeous but extremely talented and intelligent to boot. She often speaks on pressing female topics including aging and female empowerment, alongside many other things including environmental issues. Now 83 years old, the actress is still actively working in Hollywood, with her show "Grace & Frankie" in its 7th season. 

But what makes Jane so selfless is her commitment to speaking up on issues that concern women and never letting anything seemingly too fickle go untouched. Possessing great knowledge about beauty and aging, from both her industry and overall life experience, she continually shares with women the world over. And while some of it is related to exterior beauty, some of it also applies to what's on the inside, as Jane is very in tune with her well-being and spirituality. 

But on top of her advice about beauty, Jane is known to have just as much to say about men — after all, she was famously married three times and knows more than a thing or two about the opposite sex. In 2020 she even revealed that she's quit dating, as she doesn't need a man to feel content or happy in her life.

Now, in a recent interview with "SELF" magazine in February, Jane spoke about beauty, her self-care routine, and how she doesn't feel lonely without a significant other, in fact she prefers the time alone. Read on to find out more about Jane's pearls of wisdom.

The daughter of actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Ford Brokaw, Jane Seymour Fonda was born on December 21, 1937, in New York City. Named after Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII, she was actually distantly related to her on her mom's side. One year after her birth, her parents also had a son named Peter Fonda, who would go on to have a high-profile acting career just like his older sister.

But before the famous siblings even became adults, tragedy struck in the family. When Jane was 12, her mother took her own life while undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital. In her later years, Jane spoke openly about the trauma she underwent because of the loss of her mom, and it remains one of the formative experiences of her life. 

Another big turning point for her would come less than a decade later when in 1958 she met Lee Strasberg, who inspired her to take up acting. She said of the meeting:

"I went to the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg told me I had talent. Real talent. It was the first time that anyone, except my father — who had to say so — told me I was good. At anything. It was a turning point in my life." 

The rest, as they say, is history. Jane's career began on the theater stage in the late 1950s before moving into films. From the 1960s onward, she appeared in movies such as "Cat Ballou," "Klute," for which she won her first Academy Award in 1971, "Barbarella," "Coming Home" (her second Oscar win), and "On Golden Pond."

Fonda kept on acting but also began to diversify into other areas including a highly successful aerobics franchise in the '80s before she officially retired from acting in 1991. But while she was gone for nearly 15 years, she eventually made her way back to the screen in 2005. Since then she's continued to act as well as keeping up her activist work. In 2018 there was even a documentary made about her life titled "Jane Fonda in Five Acts."  

As her public image broadened in scope from just entertaining to include fitness and beauty, she eventually became an authority on female topics surrounding aging and well-being. Over the years she's given great advice such as: staying physically active in order to remain in good physical shape as one ages, staying positive and optimistic despite what life throws at you, keeping good habits and working to get rid of bad ones, ensuring one gets an adequate amount of sleep, and not bothering with fad diets. On top of these tips, she has proven that it's important to keep one's mind sharp and active. 

In a 2019 interview with 'Vogue,' Fonda was open about some of the many health scares she's endured in her 83 years. From cancer to her mastectomy and osteoporosis, she did speak of a powerful sentiment that perhaps provides some insight into how she manages to keep on going at her age. She said:

“I didn’t think I’d ever ever live this long — or feel that I’m whole or getting whole. I feel very intentional about realizing that it’s up to me how this last part of my life goes.”

The interview she gave to 'SELF' was for the publication's "My Bedtime Routine" series. Giving the world a glimpse of her private nighttime rituals, Jane described how she's free to do things as she pleases. She told the magazine:

"See, I live by myself. I don't have a husband or a lover, so I can kind of do whatever I want." 

She then elaborated:

"I'm totally alone three days a week. And I love being alone. I have my dog. That's important. And I've never minded being alone. I do not get lonely. I read a lot. I write a lot. I'm active on social media. I prepare for my Fire Drill Fridays [a weekly virtual rally for climate change]. So I like being alone."

However, she adds that during the rest of the week she has her assistant and a housekeeper over, so she's "not 100% alone all of the time." She reaffirms her point, saying, "But when I say I'm alone, I mean there's nobody in bed with me." This frees her up to create a nighttime routine that works for her, which means she's in bed as early as 6:30 or 7 p.m. She even recalls how this was not always the case in her previous relationships:

"Oh, my God, I mean, one of my husbands liked to go to bed early like I did. But needless to say, when we got in bed together I wasn't reading or watching TV very much. Another husband liked to write during the night. Two of my three husbands were night owls. So we didn't often get in bed at the same time." 

But despite getting into bed early, she often doesn't go to sleep until 9:30 or 10 p.m., instead opting to watch television and movies. While she does a beauty routine that consists of using a rich moisturizer on her arms and legs, removing her makeup, and cleansing her face, Jane enjoys watching television, claiming to never miss Rachel Maddow. Then she switches to a current movie, as she receives early screeners since she's a member of the Academy — those that decide who wins at the Academy Awards.

Other bedtime rituals she indulges in include CBD roll-ons for her osteoarthritis, a vape pen that helps her to fall asleep easily, and a weighted blanket that was gifted to her by her niece Bridget Fonda. Lastly, she has a ceiling fan that keeps air circulating while she sleeps, something that she finds essential for good rest. Having touted the benefits of sleep for years, Jane spoke of her need for an average of nine hours a night in the "SELF" interview: 

"My dad always told me as you get older, you don't need to sleep as much. I find it's not true for me. I really don't do well unless I get a lot of sleep. I know it's good for me, so I'm glad that's the case."

Considering how she looks at 83 years old and the fact that she's still very physically and mentally fit, we could all stand to listen to Jane's tips and get inspired by her nighttime rituals. 

Having touched on her previous relationships in the interview and the freedom that she currently possesses, it's worth considering Jane's romantic history. First married in 1965 to filmmaker Roger Vadim, the couple was together until 1973 when they split. That same year she married a second time to a politician named Tom Hayden. Despite their whirlwind journey to the altar, they stayed married until 1990. Then just one year later in 1991, Jane married billionaire Ted Turner. Their marriage lasted 10 years before ending in divorce. From these three marriages, Jane had three children — Vanessa Vadim with her first husband, Troy Garity with her second husband, and an adopted daughter named Mary Launa Williams, also with her second husband. 

Her most recent relationship was with music producer Richard Perry, whom she dated from 2009 until 2017. Speaking previously about falling in love with men who had troubles with emotional intimacy, she has stated that her father also had the same issues. Despite aiming to date men that were the opposite of her father, she nonetheless ended up with people who shared that common trait. She's even admitted that she can find emotional intimacy scary.

So with her rocky romantic track record and her fierce independence, it's somewhat unsurprising that in September 2020, Jane announced that she'd quit dating. She told The Guardian:

“[That part of my life] is gone. I can tell. It’s just over — I’ve closed up shop. I’m extremely happy on my own.”

Whether she's inspiring people with her activism, words of wisdom regarding aging and female independence, or showing that one can truly be happy without a romantic partner, Jane is an icon and inspiration to us all.

Did you know that Jane Fonda had given up on dating? What are your thoughts on her recent interview? Send this to anyone you know who might be inspired by her words.