The 84-year-old actress said she will not let the chemotherapy treatments “interfere with my climate activism.”
WASHINGTON — Oscar winner Jane Fonda announced Friday that she has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The 84-year-old actress revealed her cancer diagnosis in an Instagram post and explained that she has already started chemotherapy treatments, but doesn’t plan to let that stop her climate activism.
“I’m doing chemo for 6 months and am handling the treatments quite well and, believe me, I will not let any of this interfere with my climate activism,” Fonda said.
She added that she feels “very lucky” because it is “a very treatable cancer” and “80% of people survive.” Fonda also noted that she has access to the best doctors and treatments, along with health insurance, which isn’t a guarantee for everyone in America.
“I realize, and it’s painful, that I am privileged in this,” Fonda stated. “Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right.”
Fonda is a member of one of America’s most distinguished acting families. She is the daughter of Oscar winner Henry Fonda, who died in 1982, and sister of Peter Fonda, who died in 2019.
“Cancer is a teacher and I’m paying attention to the lessons it holds for me. 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,” Fonda said.
She’s also made headlines in recent years for her social activism. Fonda was arrested at the U.S. Capitol while peacefully protesting climate change in 2019, an action dubbed Fire Drill Fridays. In 2021, she called for more Hollywood diversity as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
