In a profoundly moving and intimate revelation, screen icon Jane Fonda has shared the heartbreaking details of her final goodbye to her long-time friend and co-star, the late Robert Redford.
The 86-year-old actress, visibly emotional, described being at his bedside in his last hours during an appearance on the CNN programme Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?. She recounted a poignant, soulful final conversation that underscored a connection that transcended their decades of friendship and on-screen partnership.
"Our souls were linked," Fonda stated, her voice heavy with emotion. "I had a feeling that he was going to die soon, and I wanted to go and see him. And I did."
She travelled to his home, where she found the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid star frail but lucid. Fonda described their interaction as a deep, non-verbal communion. "We didn’t talk a lot. We held hands. It was what we didn’t say that was important."
A Bond Forged in Hollywood's Golden Age
The pair's legendary chemistry was first captured on film in the 1967 comedy Barefoot in the Park, a project that cemented their status as a beloved Hollywood duo. They reunited years later for the 1979 Academy Award-winning thriller The Electric Horseman.
Fonda’s testimony offers a rare, vulnerable glimpse into the private passing of a beloved public figure, moving beyond the glamour of Hollywood to touch on universal themes of love, loss, and the pain of farewell.
"It was a very, very sweet, sweet goodbye," she told Wallace, reflecting on the deep sorrow of the moment. "It’s hard to even talk about it. It was very, very sad."
Her powerful account not only honours the memory of Robert Redford but also serves as a touching reminder of the enduring power of deep, platonic love and the importance of being present for those final, sacred moments.
