Jane Fonda said she "can't stop crying" after learning of the death of her longtime friend and co-star Robert Redford, who died at 89, according to a statement she provided to The Post through her representative.
"It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone," the 87-year-old Fonda said. "He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for." The brief message arrived shortly after news of Redford's death was made public on Tuesday.
Fonda and Redford forged a long professional and personal relationship over more than five decades, appearing together in four films. Their first on-screen pairing came in the 1960s in the film "Tall Story," followed by "The Chase" (1966) and the Gene Saks-directed comedy "Barefoot in the Park" (1967), in which Fonda earned a BAFTA nomination for her performance.
The two reunited on screen half a century later in the 2017 film "Our Souls at Night," reuniting a partnership that had become both a professional collaboration and a close friendship. Fonda's statement emphasized Redford's personal qualities and his impact on her and, she suggested, on the country.
Details about the circumstances of Redford's death were not included in Fonda's statement. Her reaction follows other public tributes from colleagues and fans recognizing Redford's contributions to film and his decades-long presence in American culture.
Fonda and Redford's screen collaborations spanned genres from romantic comedy to drama, and their off-screen friendship endured through changing careers and eras in Hollywood. In her short statement, Fonda framed Redford not only as a cherished friend but as a figure whose values she described as worth sustaining.
The news of Redford's death prompted renewed attention to his filmography and the partnerships that defined parts of his career, including his work with Fonda. As more information becomes available, colleagues and collaborators are expected to offer additional remarks reflecting on his life and legacy.