Hollywood actress Jane Fonda is waltzing her way into one of the biggest events in Austria after a 90-year-old business tycoon offered to pay her “quite a bit of money” to be his date.
During a press conference on Wednesday, February 15, the 85-year-old Golden Globe winner announced that she would be attending the upcoming Vienna Opera Ball as the date of eccentric billionaire Richard Lugner, who had paid for her company.
Despite having a reported net worth of AU$290 million (US$200 million) Fonda explained that she accepted Lugner’s offer because she needed money to pay bills and support her grandkids.
“I support a lot of people,” Fonda simply stated.
While this isn’t the first time the shopping mall magnate has put up big money to secure an A-list arm candy as his date to the annual ball –having previously invited Pamela Anderson, Dita Von Teese and the late Raquel Welch – Lugner may have gotten more than he bargained for with Fonda.
According to The Irish Times, the Grace and Frankie star opted out of Lugner’s proposed itinerary and instead took to her own, touring museums and galleries in Vienna before calling out the Opera Ball for their partnership with Australian oil and gas company OMV.
“I found out yesterday that OMV is a sponsor of the Vienna ball, and I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.
“These fossil fuel companies are criminal, they are killing people and killing the planet.
“And what they try to do to make themselves socially acceptable is give money to museums and operas and cultural things that make them seem that they’re good citizens.”
“We mustn’t let that happen,” Fonda added. “The Vienna Opera is a great, world great, great opera. Please, try to get your opera to stop taking support from an oil company.”
Fonda also said it was unlikely she would be sharing a dance with Lugner, saying she was “old” and “may fall apart” because of her “fake shoulder, two fake hips, two fake knees”.
However, she hasn’t let her fake joints or her recent diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma stop her from doing her iconic workout every day to keep her strength up to maintain her independence.