Jane Fonda has made her first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis in September. She’s being very candid about facing the disease.
Fonda attends events after cancer diagnosis
Fonda took the stage at the 2022 Pennsylvania Conference for Women as a speaker less than a month after announcing her non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in early September. In a social media post, Fonda wrote, “This is a very treatable cancer. 80 percent of people survive, so I feel very lucky.” She also shared that she has already undergone six months of chemotherapy.
She also added that she was “handling the treatments quite well,” and that she would not let “any of this interfere with my climate activism.” Fonda has been involved in activism for over 50 years, from the civil rights and anti-war movements of the late ’60s to women’s rights, teen pregnancy, and environmental issues like today’s climate crisis.
Fonda on dying: ‘I’m not afraid of going’
Beyond her activism, Fonda is also an Academy Award-winning actress and iconic home workout celebrity. She recently kick-started her acting career and returned to the small screen with hits like Grace and Frankie and Youth. Now, the 84-year-old is focusing on healing.
“Cancer is a teacher and I’m paying attention to the lessons it holds for me,” she shared in an Instagram post. “One thing it’s shown me already is the importance of community. Of growing and deepening one’s community so that we are not alone. And the cancer, along with my age – almost 85 – definitely teaches the importance of adapting to new realities.”
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight ahead of her 85th birthday on December 21st, Fonda also shared what she’s looking forward to in the future. “[I want to] see my grandkids get old enough so that I go out knowing they’re going to be okay,” she said, “and my work on the climate… I’ll be doing that until I drop.”
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As for facing death, Fonda isn’t afraid of what’s on the other side. “When you get to be my age, you better be aware of the amount of time that is behind you as opposed to in front of you,” she shared. “I’m not afraid of going, I’m ready. I’ve had a great life.”