Talking with fellow Oscar-winner, Brie Larson, Jane Fonda, 79, came out with the news that she has both survived rape and suffered Sexual Abuse when she was a child. According to Fonda, she “felt diminished” while growing up, as the men in her life were, as she termed, “victims of a patriarchal belief system.” She said she was brought up with “the disease to please.” As reported by Page Six, it took her 60 years to learn how to say “no.” According to a report by the BBC, Fonda revealed back in 2014 that her own mother, Frances Ford Seymour, had been sexually abused at the age of eight and eventually took her own life when she was 42.

Fonda said she was literally raped and sexually abused as a child, but also fired in more recent years because she wouldn’t sleep with her boss. Saying this is how patriarchy takes its toll on females, Fonda added that being a young actress these days was particularly terrifying, due to female sexualization, adding that they have to “get naked so much” and that there is even more emphasis these days on how women look. She added that young girls that she knows have been sexually assaulted and don’t even realize that it was rape. They blame themselves, saying that must have said no in the wrong way.

Jane Fonda – Fighting for women’s rights

Jane added that one great thing about the women’s movement is that it made women realize that rape and sexual abuse is not their fault, that they were violated and that it is not right.

Probably due to her experiences in her life, Fonda has been an advocate for women’s rights and an activist for some time and is a supporter of the Rape Foundation and Rape Treatment Center in Los Angeles.

International Women’s Day

Fonda was speaking to mark International Women’s Day and did say she is happy actresses are finally fighting to close the gender pay gap in Hollywood.

She said this wasn’t even considered an issue when she was involved in the entertainment industry 40 years ago. Fonda said she never thought about it and even at the height of her career back in the 70s and 80s, she never received a huge amount of money and, in fact, didn’t think she was worth it. For her, it was just the way things were and the men naturally earned more.

Seven Oscar nominations

Jane is the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Henry Fonda and has, herself, been nominated for an Oscar seven times, winning best actress twice. The first was in 1971 for “Klute” and the second, in 1979 for “Coming Home.” She is also known for the cult movie “Barbarella,” an adult movie, “Girl on a Motorcycle, as well as “9 to 5” and “On Golden Pond,” where she featured opposite her father, Henry.
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