Getty Images
Jane Fonda Reveals She Was Sexually Abused and Raped as a Child
Jane Fonda is bravely opening up about an unfortunate part of her past.
In a candid new interview with actress Brie Larson, the 79-year-old star confessed she was sexually abused and raped during her childhood.
MUST SEE: Jane Fonda’s Kids Encouraged Her Split From Boyfriend Richard Perry (EXCLUSIVE)
“To show you the extent to which a patriarchy takes a toll on females; I’ve been raped, I’ve been sexually abused as a child and 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,” Jane told Brie, 27, during a sit-down for The Edit.
Jane with her father, Henry Father, in 1945.
“I know young girls who’ve been raped and didn’t even know it was rape. They think, ‘It must have been because I said no the wrong way,'” she continued. “One of the great things the women’s movement has done is to make us realize that [rape and abuse is] not our fault. We were violated and it’s not right.”
This isn’t the first time Jane has talked about a difficult aspect of her upbringing. In May 2016, the 9 to 5 actress opened up about her mom, Frances Ford Seymour, committing suicide when she was only 12-years-old.
“She suffered from mental illness, what would today be called bipolar [disorder],” Jane revealed. “When a parent isn’t around, the child assumes it’s her fault. And that’s what I did.”
Jane’s parents, Henry and Frances in 1940.
Years later, Jane said she changed her mind about the unfortunate situation. “You have a choice: You can go through life believing you’re unlovable and feeling guilty about what happened, or you can try to understand that your parent was suffering from something and didn’t know how to heal,” she said.
MUST SEE: Jane Fonda Talks Reinventing Herself After Age 60
“If you can look back and see it with understanding and with an open heart, then you can forgive. [In hindsight] it was the difficult things that could have broken me that went on to teach me the most,” Jane continued.
