Washington DC [US], May 7 : Actor-activist Jane Fonda has paid a heartfelt tribute to her ex-husband, media mogul Ted Turner, following his death at the age of 87, according to a release from Turner Enterprises, Page Six reported.
Fonda, 88, shared an emotional message recalling their relationship in a post on Instagram.
"MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS ABOUT TED He swept into my life, a gloriously handsome, deeply romantic, swashbuckling pirate and I've never been the same," she wrote, as per the outlet.
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Fonda, who was married to Turner from 1991 to 2001, said he "needed" her during their time together.
"No one had ever let me know they needed me, and this wasn't your average human being that needed me, this was the creator of CNN, and Turner Classic Movies, who had won the America's Cup as the world's greatest sailor. He had a big life, a brilliant mind and a soaring sense of humor," she added, Page Six reported.
She further said Turner helped her build confidence. "He gave me confidence. I think I did the same for him, but that's what women are raised to do. Men like Ted aren't supposed to express need and vulnerability. That was Ted's greatest strength, I believe," Fonda noted.
Reflecting on their shared life, she said Turner taught her "everything from hunting to business and strategy," and described him as "the most competitive person" she had ever met next to Katharine Hepburn.
"Ted was challenging, but I've always been up for a challenge, and with Ted it was almost always worth it," she said, Page Six reported.
"I loved Ted with all my heart," Fonda wrote, adding, "I see him in heaven now with all the wildlife he helped bring back from extinction."
She also acknowledged Turner's children -- Laura, Teddy, Rhett, Beau and Jennie -- saying, "Five children survive him. Five talented, complex kids who I had the privilege of becoming stepmother to," Page Six reported.
"If it was complicated being married to him, think about how complicated it was being his child," she added. "And they are all doing fine. Rest in Peace dearest Ted. You are loved and you will be remembered."
Despite their divorce after a decade of marriage, Fonda once referred to Turner as her "favorite ex-husband."
In 2001, at a charity auction, she had called out, "My favorite ex-husband!"
In 2018, Fonda had also spoken about Turner after he revealed his diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, saying, "I will never love anyone like I love him."
According to reports, Turner had been in a rehabilitation centre in early 2025 after contracting pneumonia. He founded Turner Broadcasting System in 1965 and CNN in 1980, and also formerly owned the Atlanta Braves.
US President Donald Trump confirmed Turner's passing on Truth Social, calling him "one of the Greats of All Time" who was "always willing to fight for a good cause," Page Six reported.