VALENTINE’S DAY—A LITTLE LATE

Art Linson, June Newton, Fiona Linson, me, Richard, Bob Evans, Nikki Haskell, Eva Chow

Art Linson, June Newton, Fiona Linson, me, Richard, Bob Evans, Nikki Haskell, Eva Chow

with Richard


I only just got the photos from the Valentine’s Day party thrown at the Chateau Marmont by June Newton, the lively, brave widow of Helmut Newton. Many of her long-time friends were there. Some are also old friends of mine. Bob Shaye was there but only for cocktails so he wasn’t in the photos of our table. Irving Blum was there who had one of the great galleries of modern American art (he’s retired now) and was close friends with Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward and me. I hadn’t seen him in ages. Author Scott Berg was there. I got to know him when he wrote the fine authorized biography of Katharine Hepburn and we compared notes.

Bob Evans complimented me on my new, short haircut and I said, “Thanks. I just had some ‘work’ done on my chin and neck and had the bags taken away from under my eyes so I decided it would be good to get a new hair cut so people will think it’s my new hair.” He thought that was so funny he actually toasted me for doing what he said he’d never heard anyone do before: admit they’d had work done. I was planning on blogging about it anyway so who cares? I’m writing a book about aging so I couldn’t very well NOT talk about it. It’s been 2 weeks. I was in front of the camera all day yesterday and was photographed at Eve Ensler’s luncheon 9 days after the procedure so, obviously, it went well. I swore in 2000 I’d never have anything done again but this year I got tired of not looking like how I feel and I wanted a more refined chin line like I used to have so I changed my mind. I’m still a little swollen but not much and what pleases me is that I won’t looked pulled or weird…or tired all the time. And my crows feet are still alive and well. I wish I’d been brave enough to not do anything but, instead, I chose to be a somewhat more glamorous grandma.

So there.

See you next time.

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99 Comments

  1. Jane – I love you no matter what you do…you are an inspiration to women everywhere….I’m glad you were honest about having the work done, better than lying about it.

    I’m surprised tho’ you said you did it because you want to get “work” (one of your reasons). I know roles in Hollywood suck for older women, but I find it hard to believe that JANE FONDA has trouble getting work…

    I thought you weren’t doing many films lately because you didn’t want to do any…am I wrong?

  2. Wow, I was so enjoying your blog (I googled Santa Fe ranches as I am set to move there as a personal chef/nutritionist) for a family and stumbled upon this and had no clue you lived there??:)) and then suddenly a bit surpised by all these “feminist” comments regarding your surgery. Last I checked feminism was about “equality of the sexes”. Meaning: If no one is seriously questioning the motives of a man’s plastic surgery, why question a woman’s?You’re very right in saying that you never know how someone’s life has developed to encourage the decisions they’ve made…. so we shouldn’t judge! Wendy broke my nose in HS cheerleading practice. It went from a cute “ski jump” nose to a “black diamond” frighteng slope 🙂 and I lived that way without a care for 15 years. Then my exhusband rebroke it and I fixed it as soon as I divorced him. I didn’t want his negative energy staring me in the face everytime I looked in the mirror. Self esteem is complicated and we all struggle with it in different ways and at different times in our lives. What we can do as people, let alone “feminists”, is accept, in eachother, our weaknesses as well as our strengths (knowing how hard life can be at times) because acknowledging our weaknesses is, in itself, an enormous strength! That said, your honesty and humaness and zest only make me feel hopeful and inspired. I guess I took a different view when I read this blog. I read it in amazement thinking, “This woman is still taking life on and living it to it’s fullest. Wow!….She still cares what she feels like and looks like at 70! Incredible! She’s doing exercise videos and neighboring with bears and rattlesnakes???” I love your zest for life. I love that you gave me more courage to make this HUGE move I’m petrified to make…(reading this made me feel like a wimp!:)) and please keep squeezing every drop out of life as it inspires others to do the same! That can only make a better world!!

  3. In that top pick on this post, you look like a very young Liza Minnelli.

  4. the top single photo of you and richard that is.

  5. I think its great that you admitted you had work done. I dont think its for me but that could change in the future so I cant really say that Id never…besides u look great with or without it, but since u did have it done u look fabulous..u can’t even tell . Thank you for sharing with us and I cant wait for the new book to come out!

  6. Jane – You are one of the bravest women in the world! You inspire me to no end. You look great and why shouldn’t you. You’re a lovely grandma and I only hope that I can look as great as you do when I am one!! You’re honest, too!! That’s what makes you so great!!

  7. Jane, as usual I am in awe of your honesty.

    I don’t have any judgment about your plastic surgery. I think it’s tasteful and you still look like “Jane Fonda”. (I have bags under my eyes at 43 … oy!)

    I think “untasteful” plastic surgery is when ladies (a) don’t look like themselves any more, (b) go for a “Porn Barbie” look with the stretched face, big lips, and arched brows.

    You’ve not done that.

    Love your blog! Thanks for being real.

  8. Mon dieu! Such anger and judgment in some of these posts. I always wonder – how do judgmental people live their own lives? Do they exist in some kind of hermetically sealed existence in which all their choices are perfect? Doubtful. But to choose to come to your website and attack the personal choices that you freely share with people, well (long pause for deep breath) I’ll not judge those who throw their negativity around and instead I’ll choose to forgive them and love them.

    As for me, Ms. Fonda, I visit your site because I admire you as an actress and activist, and I will always deeply honor your heartfelt honesty. The truth shall always set you free, n’est pas?

  9. After thinking more…I admire you more for your intellect, so I shouldn’t be disappointed because you changed your look. Right, it doesn’t matter how you look, except to you. It’s entirely personal. Though, you said it is part to get movie roles. I just think it sucks-to put it bluntly, if Hollywood isn’t giving you parts due to wrinkles.

    My sister-in-law is a social worker at a high school and she talks of having to appear young to engage or get her students to trust her. She just had a chemical peel.

    So, I guess getting facial surgery could seem like a job requirement.

    I’m lucky since I have a huge fear of knives and
    am not in a career that expects youthful looks. But, maybe older women are discriminated against even at McDonalds…can’t wait to read your book and your take on woman aging. It’s a huge subject!

    I apologize for being judgemental-like I said I love you for your mind (have you heard that before LOL) and really would love to see you on the big screen soon.

  10. Oh Yeah, one more thing-I agree with a previous commenter-YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR GRANDKIDS. Check your self woman! Are you still trying to take of everyone?

    Maybe the grandkids college education is a euphenism(sp?) for other monetary needs, nothing wrong with earning money.

    As Warren Buffett said give the kids enough money so they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.

  11. I have a question for all of you who think it is anti-feminist to get plastic surgery or somehow a sellout. What if a very young-looking, beautiful woman with great genetics got very ill. The illness was not do to anything she did, she always ate healthy, didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. The illness in fact was caused by what others did.

    The illness left her increasingly disfigured, to the point she no longer looked like herself. She just wanted to go back to looking like her old self, because looking in the mirror now caused her trauma.

    In your mind, would it not be okay for her to have cosmetic work done either? Is her disfigurement “natural” and what a woman “should look like and accept”?

    Would a man, say Viktor Yushchenko, be judged as harshly for his disfigurement if he chose surgery?

  12. Could you please do a fellow female a favor and disclose who your plastic surgeon is?

    If you don’t want to post it, could you email me the info?

  13. Dear Jane,

    Your willingness to open up about such personal parts of your life to your fans and readers is remarkable. That’s what I love about your blog! But what is even more remarkable is your patience, poise, and compassion for the people who criticize you so harshly for that very openness. (Why someone feels compelled to spew vitriol on a website where someone is sharing her personal life is beyond me. But the way you handle these people–and the very fact that you even take the time to respond at all, let alone as thoughtfully and as graciously as you do–is a real lesson to me in how to take criticism in stride.)

    For the record, plastic surgery has always been something that I am little uncomfortable with and afraid of, and I am not sure that I would ever have it done on myself. Though I am not 100% sure I wouldn’t. (After all, I’m only in my mid-30’s, so we’ll see where I stand on the issue when I am my 60’s…) But I do want to say that I respect your choice to have the surgery done and, even more so, your willingness to be so open and honest about it.

    Please keep up the good work, and good luck with the book and the fitness DVDs!

    All my best,

    Robert

  14. I ran across the news about the “refresh” you had done on huffingtonpost. Then I linked to your blog! I wish I would have known about it earlier.

    I think that you said it correctly, I do not look like I feel. We are emotional creatures and I think that we need to look like we feel on the inside. In the modern age that means something different then a nice suit or pretty dress.

    I am sure you do not respond to posts, but I do hope you read them!!

    I just wanted to say that you really made my life with the work you did in 9-5. I was born in 77 and we watched that movie all through the 80’s, 90’s and still today. I have always hope they would get you 3 women back together for another great comedy, you all had such great chemistry together.

    I would like to think that Hillary focused on women in the workforce and pay equality because of your work on that movie. There isn’t a month that some line from that movie does not come up. Thanks again. And I am not sure how the movie business works, but I would love it if you all came up with a new project or even a retro sequel after you take over the company.

    Hopefully this all goes without saying……you are an activist in so many other ways and it is because of you many great things have been accomplished and that others have been inspired to do things they never thought could be done.

  15. Okay Jane. We all want to know the Doctor who did your face work. Really really good!

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  17. aw, geez. wish you’d called and at least let me try to talk you off the ledge. R

  18. When I was in my teens, in Fayetteville, NC, next to Fort Bragg – I remember that you were marching in front of our A&P over something about lettuce. I remember my Dad saying – “that Jane Fonda – she’s got everything, rich, and a movie star – and just won’t shut up about anything. She’s raising all this fuss with the soldiers on the base and she’s also gotten up and marched at the local store.”

    I know my Dad was annoyed – and most of us just wanted to go down there and see a movie star – we didn’t put the reality of what you were really doing together. Who really cared about who picked the lettuce? Maybe she just wants publicity for her career.

    But you have consistently been willing to stick your neck out and risk everything for your beliefs and even though I squirm a bit about the plastic surgery thing – you’ve done more in your life for and about your beliefs in true liberty than I ever will.

    I personally am sticking with my face. As a grandmother of 2, mother of 4 daughters – I like what it says about me. However, I am not sticking with this overweight by 75 lbs body. About 5 months ago I dragged out my Jane Fonda VHS tapes and started to work on what was keeping me from being an active vibrant life participant. With slight leg paralysis from a stroke, I am modifying all the jumping and jogging parts – but am excited to be back with you urging me on – even with your 80’s/90’s hair. And can’t wait for your new one. I even have your “Challenge” tape – not sure if I can modify that one but maybe if my weight keeps coming down – I know I feel stronger and can last longer on my weak leg – well, who knows? Keep going, Jane. You are a real light in this world.

    • Patti, forget about “The Challenge.” Not modifiable. Which tape are you doing? I am soooo proud of you for getting back at it. Wow! xx JF

    • Jane – I do the Low Impact Aerobic, the Prime Time Workout, Workout with Weights, Lean Routine, Personal Trainer Series, and the FAvorite Fat Burners. And I always modify. You are terrific.

  19. Like fine wine – Jane Fonda gets better and better.
    Out front, open, honest, true.

    You go!

  20. I am 68 and would like to have my chin back, but only want the neck and chin. What is the medical “name” of the procedure? What do I ask for? Perhaps we should call it “The Jane Fonda” It looks natural and amazing!

    • Shoot, I should know the name of the procedure I had. IT was done by Dr Hutcherson in Beverly Hills so you can call ad ask his nurse

  21. I agree with your remarks about showing compassion, not just about plastic surgery, but life in general.

    Love the haircut. Do you think you’ll ever have longer hair again (maybe chin/shoulder length)? You look great now, but longer hair is a look you can rock, too!

    Take care! 🙂

  22. Whatever it takes to look good — getting old is not really what you wanted anyway. I think Richard would look better if he learned to smile broadly without being self-conscious. Maybe he isn’t holding back, but I think he should really pull his cheek muscles back when he smiles. Then he would look happier and match you better. Smiling freely always makes it prettier!

  23. I think you look positively glowing. Why should we look tired if we don’t feel tired. To this day, my favorite all time movie of yours was The Dollmaker. I cried. And whenever I see it listed on television I watch it again. One of the most touching pieces of writing I have ever seen. “When I feel I am on the right path, I give with my whole being.” Me too Jane, Me too.

    • Ah yes, “The Dollmaker.” THat one is at the top of my favorites list too. I liked that woodcarver more than any character I ever played/

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  25. You look like a little like Annie Lennox! Not bad. What about the pain involved? How much did it hurt?

    • Not. You’re in the twilight zone and then pain pills for a few days. you’d want to wait awhile before leaning over though. I was our in public 9 days later…with shades.

  26. Jane, I really appreciate your honesty about this! And I’m looking forward to your book about aging. I turned 50 last Sept. so it’s a subject I’m way too familiar with.

  27. Hi Jane,
    I saw you in variations on Broadway. You were fabulous in every way, but I did notice the bags under your eyes. I think you did
    the right thing to get them removed. They were the only thing
    that distracted the viewer from your inner and outer beauty.
    Now we can all concentrate better on what you are projecting
    to the world!

  28. Count me in as another Jane Fonda fan. I can’t wait for the new fitness DVDs. I have all your workouts and still use them on a regular basis. I love the “Complete Workout” and your step workouts are my all-time favorites. Any chance your step workouts will ever be released on DVD?

  29. Thank heavens the universes sent us a woman as brave and open as you are. This is why your world is so wide and life so big. Those of us who admire you loyally over the years can only say Yes! And cheer.
    Just saw Klute the other night, another brave performance.

  30. When I, as a 55 year old woman, first read on your blog that you had work done, my reaction was negative – disappointment – I wanted you to be my “no work done for me” mentor… I now realize I don’t walk in your shoes and I understand YOUR reasons for doing it. But I will need a new “no surgery” mentor! wink, wink!

  31. Once again, I’m soooooo proud of you! for the way you handle your life, for your beliefs, your actions… The whole package.
    I’m 71 now. I lived in Buenos Aires for 2 years (2005/2006), and while there, I had “work done”. The surgeons are amazing and very professional.
    Cosmetic “work” is very popular in BA and most women who can afford it have work done. There is no shame on it.
    Aging is not for wimps and it takes courage to admit one needs some help from the scalp. We should all look as good a we feel.
    You go girl! do what you have to do. You look absolutely great. And the short hair makes you look like a young kid.

    Good for you!

  32. YOU Look fantastic. Amazing

    Who was your surgeon?

    Thanks

    jr

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