The woman was Jane Fonda, the Oscar-winning actress and Hollywood icon who shared a remarkable screen history with Robert Redford. After his death at 89 in September 2025, Fonda said the loss hit her hard and left her in tears.
The pair created one of cinema’s most memorable partnerships in The Chase, Barefoot in the Park, The Electric Horseman and, decades later, Our Souls at Night. Their chemistry always felt effortless.
Fonda later admitted the attraction was not just acting. Looking back on Barefoot in the Park, she said she had fallen “madly in love” with Redford. She also confessed that each new film seemed to bring those feelings back.
Nothing became a public romance, but the affection followed their friendship for decades. Fonda once joked that looking into Redford’s eyes could make her forget her dialogue. When they reunited in 2017, that warmth was still unmistakable.
After his death, one memory became especially painful. Fonda revealed she had wanted to visit Redford during his final months to make sure everything between them was all right, but she waited too long. Her regret carried a simple lesson: do not assume there will always be more time.
For Fonda, Redford was never merely a famous co-star. He was a friend woven into defining moments of her career, a man she admired for decades and a screen partner who could still stir old emotions. His passing closed a Hollywood chapter that had lasted more than half a century.