Jane Fonda reveals her ‘big fear’ is dying with ‘a lot of regrets’ as she battles cancer

Hollywood actress Jane Fonda has opened up about her life and that her greatest fear is dying with “a lot of regrets”, her recent comments coming as she continues her battle with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Fonda, 84, discussed her fear of regret during an interview with the We Can Do Hard Things podcast where she revealed that her father, the famous Henry Ford, “died with a lot of regrets”.

“My big fear is getting to the end of my life and having a lot of regrets,” Fonda said.

“Oh my god, I don’t want that.”

She also shared how she envisioned her death would play out.

“We never know how we’re gonna die but it’s important to envision how you want it to be,” she said.

“I want to be in a bed — I hope in my home — with people around me that love me. I have to earn that, deserve that. And I want to feel that I’ve done my very best, and so that’s what I try to do.”

The veteran actress’s comments come after she recently revealed to her fans, on September 2, that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I’ve been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments,” she wrote.

“This is a very treatable cancer,” she continued. “80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.”

 

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Remaining committed to her activist ideals for which she is famous for, Fonda used her health announcement to discuss the impacts of fossil fuels and healthcare disparities within the US.

“I’m also lucky because I have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatments. I realize, and it’s painful, that I am privileged in this. 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,” she continued.

“We also need to be talking much more not just about cures but about causes so we can eliminate them. For example, people need to know that fossil fuels cause cancer. So do pesticides, many of which are fossil fuel-based, like mine.

“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.

“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.

“We’re living through the most consequential time in human history because what we do or don’t do right now will determine what kind of future there will be and I will not allow cancer to keep me from doing all I can, using every tool in my toolbox and that very much includes continuing to build this Fire Drill Fridays community and finding new ways to use our collective strength to make change.”

Since commencing chemotherapy, the Grace and Frankie star provided a health update where she assured her loyal fanbase that she is “feeling stronger than ever”.

“This is not my first encounter with cancer. I’ve had breast cancers and had a mastectomy and come through very well and I will do so again,” Fonda said.