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Jane Fonda: ‘I’ve Been Raped, I’ve Been Sexually Abused As A Child’

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 04:11 PST, Mar 3, 2017

Jane Fonda has always kept the private and painful details of her childhood to herself, until now. Fonda spoke about the abuse she endured in a recent interview with actress Brie Larson.

“I’ve been raped, I’ve been sexually abused as a child.”

The Washington Post reports that the Academy Award-winning actress decided to make these revelations to show “the extent to which a patriarchy takes a toll on females.”

Fonda has always been very outspoken, and she’s spent her entire life in the public eye, but it’s only now she’s revealing the private and painful details of her earlier life.

“I’ve been fired because I wouldn’t sleep with my boss and I always thought it was my fault; that I didn’t do or say the right thing.”

Fonda is the star of the Netflix show Grace and Frankie, and it seems that this is the first time Fonda has spoken about the abuse she was subjected to.

“I know young girls who’ve been raped and didn’t even know it was rape.”

The actress added that they, the victims, think it must have been because they said “no” in the wrong way.

Among other topics in the candid interview with Larson, the popular actress discussed the women’s movement, feminism, and celebrity political activism. Larson, who’s also an actress, has become a vocal advocate for victims of sexual assault. She’s also played two sexually abused characters, with her most notable being her Oscar-winning role in the movie Room.

During the interview, Larson admitted that she’d been encouraged to reach out to Fonda because she’s the perfect example of an actress who never shied away from political activism. Fans may recall that Fonda made headlines in the 1970s for her activism against the Vietnam War.

She was photographed laughing and clapping with Vietnamese soldiers in North Vietnam, at which time the photographs and her actions earned her the nickname Hanoi Jane. Her behavior spurred protests from American veterans and many years of international criticism.

As recently as 2015, Fonda has repeatedly apologized and expressed her regret over these photos. In 2005, she told 60 Minutes that the photos were a mistake, even though she still believed her trip to Vietnam was worthwhile.

“The image of Jane Fonda, Barbarella, Henry Fonda’s daughter, sitting on an enemy aircraft gun was a betrayal; the largest lapse of judgment I can imagine.”

For the present, it appears that Fonda has regrets as a mother and claims she’s still trying to earn her adult children’s love. Inside Toronto reports that the 79-year-old actress has three adult children, Mary Lawanna Williams, Vanessa Vadim, and Troy Garity.

“I regret that I wasn’t a better parent. I didn’t know how to do it. But you can learn, so I studied how to be a parent. It’s never too late. I am trying to make up for what I didn’t know before. When I die, I want my family to be around me. I want them to love me and I have to earn that. I’m still working at it.”

Fonda admitted that in the 1970s she almost decided to turn her back on Hollywood in order to become an anti-war activist, but she decided to continue.

“My acting improved when I became an activist – I see things from a broader perspective.”

The Daily Mail reported that Fonda split from her partner Richard Perry in January, and friends say that, since the split, the actress is feeling a new freedom.

Re-dedicating herself to activism, the stunning and ever-youthful actress spoke at the 2017 Global Green Pre-Oscars Gala in Los Angeles last Wednesday. At one point during the Global Green event, Fonda referred to President Trump as The Predator in Chief.

Fonda was delighted to use her celebrity for good, speaking passionately about the Dakota pipeline protests and her own experience at Standing Rock. Looking almost half her age, Fonda was very passionate as she recounted her experience with the wonderful people she met at the protests.

Orlando Bloom was also at the event: Bloom has his own history of activism and has just returned from a volunteer event where he was working to help children in Africa. These two stars have worked together on many issues, always using their celebrity status for good.

Global Green is a non-profit organization, promoting sustainable design, clean energy, and water reduction measures. The organization encourages building green and using environmentally-friendly sustainability practices.

The Global Green Pre-Oscars Gala is just one of many events held throughout the year to educate people about climate-friendly options.

[Featured Image by Chris Pizzello/AP Images]

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