Though she is 73, Jane Fonda appears…and feels…as great as a woman a third her age.
A fresh photo of the actress and fitness expert in the latest issue of Bazaar magazine reveals her in a stunning slinky black dress with sheer panels highlighted by polka dot details.
In the interview, the actress shares her journey to self-love after grappling with bulimia and struggles with her self-image.
“I would say from puberty to 50, I was not very happy,” she confesses. “It took me a long time. During my 40s, the impact of bulimia worsened as I aged.
“The recovery time from each episode takes longer. I had a thriving career, received awards, supported nonprofits, and had a family,” she mentions, referring to her children, Vanessa Vadim and Troy Garity.
Eventually, she shifted her focus to exercise. “I avoid lunges because of my fake hip and knee,” Jane states while promoting her new self-help book, Prime Time.
Despite flaunting her incredible physique recently at the Cannes Film Festival, the actress reveals she has struggled with her self-image for years, influenced partly by her father, actor Henry Fonda.
“I grew up in the ’50s,” she explains. “My father taught me that appearance was everything.
“He was a good man, and I adored him, but he imparted messages that a father shouldn’t: Unless you look perfect, you won’t be loved.”
Currently, the actress refuses to let age hinder her vanity.
“I’m vain,” she admits. “My arms may be thin, but I care about how my loose skin appears. I ensure that my outfits highlight my best features, specifically my waist and butt.”
Yet, she is mindful of avoiding clothing that may seem too youthful for her age.
“I have people around me who will say, ‘Honey, you’re trying too hard,'” she shares. “I enjoy being a bit cheeky, but at 73 and a half, I’m still navigating between being matronly and spirited.”
The star, who is also a well-known political activist, has received two Academy Awards throughout her extensive career starring in hits like Barbarella and Klute.
Having been married three times: first to director Roger Vadim, then political activist Tom Hayden, and finally media mogul Ted Turner, from whom she divorced in 2001.
“When reflecting on myself, I questioned if there’s truly something inside me,” she confides to the magazine regarding her book research. “Or am I merely a hollow individual filled by whichever man I’m with?
“My ongoing issue has been with men – you know, making them happy, contorting myself to become who they want,” reveals Jane, who is currently in a relationship with music producer Richard Perry.
“While I can’t claim that I’ve completely overcome this, I would say it’s improved by about 90 or even 95 percent.”
Jane also offers some advice to Lindsay Lohan, with whom she worked on the 2007 film Georgia Rule.
“I feel nothing but compassion for her. I believe she’s never known a life without chaos,” she expresses.
by Harry Harper