Jane Fonda reveals biggest regret over strained relationship with late dad

Jane Fonda previously admitted she felt intimidated by her father and famed actor Henry Fonda, leading to what was often a difficult relationship between them while he was alive.

But she has now recalled a loving memory of their time together, and admitted the one regret that will always stick in her mind following his death in 1982.

The 80-year-old actress revealed she’d love to speak to her father again about their joint roles in 1981’s On Golden Pond, as she shared her memories in an exclusive chat with Closer Weekly.

Recalling the moment they watched one of their scenes back together, she remembered seeing her father appear to tear up when she grabbed his arm – but despite always wanting to ask him about it, she never did.

“I wish he would’ve said something like, ‘I wasn’t expecting it. That scene between us really moved me. You really moved me. I felt we were both so present’,” she told the magazine. “I wish he were still here to talk about it.”

Read more: Jane Fonda admits infamous Vietnam War gun photo was ‘thoughtless’

Henry sadly died at the age of 77 after battling heart disease, with his daughter by his side. Now Fonda has admitted she’s shocked when she thinks about how she’s now older than he was when he passed away.

“I’ve lived four years longer than he did,” she added. “That still surprises me.”

Another moment that has stuck in her mind was attending the Oscars to accept an award on his behalf, when he had become too ill to attend himself. She described it as the happiest moment of her life.

She spoke to the mag ahead of her upcoming HBO documentary, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, in which she reflects on her life and achievements through the years.

It’s not the first time Fonda has addressed her regrets over her relationship with her dad, and she previously told Town and Country magazine: “I think I’d be able to talk to him now, which was something I had a hard time doing when he was alive; I was too intimidated by him. There’s so much that I wasn’t able to say.”

Do you have any regrets about your relationship with your parents while they were alive?