Jane Fonda Reveals the Heart-Wrenching Reason Behind Her Nervous Breakdown

The renowned 81-year old actress Jane Fonda has been incredibly vocal when it comes to her struggles with health and body image. 

Despite her age, Fonda is one of the most gorgeous women in Hollywood, but the actress says that the body shaming comments started to get to her, and she eventually gave in to the temptation to get surgical enhancements.

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Fonda is thankful she’s still alive and well despite all the health hurdles she endured.

She also fought against skin cancer at one point in her life, not to mention her aching joints knees and back for which she underwent multiple operations to correct the joints on her hip, knees, and back.

With all these challenges she endured, one would think Fonda finally recovered from her struggles. However, in a rare interview, the actress reveals her battles are far from over. While she’s physically healthy now, it’s a different story when it comes to her mental health.

The Interview

During a raw interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the renowned actress opened up about the nervous breakdown she experienced in the past for the first time. Fonda recalls that she suffered the first episode years ago when she was filming season 1 of Grace and Frankie.

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Fonda reveals she knows the horrible feeling of being left behind since she’s been married and had a divorce three times.

According to Fonda, the nervous breakdown was triggered by certain scenes which set off her fear of abandonment. As Fonda was reading the script, she came across the part where her character’s husband decided to leave her after 40 years of togetherness. The plot hit her hard, and Fonda felt her character’s pain, eventually leading to her nervous breakdown.

The Trigger

Aside from Fonda’s struggles, her co-star and long-time friend, Lily Tomlin also recalled another plot that triggered the former actress’ breakdown.

The story also revealed that the characters’ husbands left them to be with one another. Fonda and Tomlin didn’t realize how deeply a comedy show could resonate with their personal lives and evoke such a strong emotional response.

Fonda reveals the heartbreaks from her failed relationships are still as raw as ever, especially her 16 years of marriage with Tom Hayden

After the shooting, Tomlin whisked Fonda away from the set into a separate room to calm her down. The show’s storyline affected Fonda tremendously since she herself had lived through the comical tragedy of being left by a loved one for someone else.

Despite Fonda’s struggles, her portrayal for Grace earned her an Emmy nomination in 2017.

The Acceptance

While Fonda initially says she doesn’t want to be like Grace Hanson, she learned to embrace her character over the years and understand the cultural differences between the younger and older generations.

The lessons she learned from the show also helped Fonda in fixing her personal struggles. Now, the actress is happily dating the renowned music producer Richard Perry but the two are in no hurry to get married. Instead, they choose to enjoy spending every moment together and live in the present.

The Inspiration

Fonda also says she’s happy to represent and empower the older women thanks to her show. She and Tomlin also couldn’t wait to reprise their roles in Grace and Frankie Season 8 next year.  Fonda also encourages everyone to keep their faith in hard times to survive and overcome whatever battles you’re fighting now.