Vault: Interview With Jane Fonda

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: Interview With Jane Fonda

Podcast: The Bert Show
Episode: Vault: Interview With Jane Fonda
Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Bert and The Bert Show Cast
Guest: Jane Fonda

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Episode Overview

This special "vault" episode brings legendary actor and activist Jane Fonda into The Bert Show studio for a candid, wide-ranging conversation. The discussion covers Fonda's departure from acting, her ongoing activism—particularly with the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (GCAPP)—her lifelong struggles with self-acceptance and bulimia, as well as her perspectives on women's empowerment and aging. In a heartfelt closing, Fonda surprises the show with a joyful personal announcement about Bert and Stacy’s first child.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Jane Fonda on Leaving Acting and Finding New Purpose

• No Regrets About Leaving Acting

  • (02:27) Bert asks if she misses acting; Fonda emphatically says no:

    “I test myself. I go to a movie with a part in it that I could have played, and I say, do I miss this? No, I don’t.”

  • Instead, she finds creative fulfillment in her real-life work helping people transform:

    “The thing that I find creative about acting is that you get inside the skin of another person… I’m doing that now, but in real life—working with young people and their parents to figure out, how can you get them to change?” (02:41)

• About the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (GCAPP)

  • (03:17) Fonda describes her role in GCAPP:

    “That is my creative, inspirational life… because it took me 60 years to get my act together. That’s why. And I don’t want other girls and boys to have to wait so long.”

On Personal Struggles and Generational Patterns

• Vulnerability in Personal Relationships

  • (03:36) Fonda opens up about her internal struggles:

    “If I really am who I am and say what I really feel, he won’t love me anymore… You can be a very strong and powerful woman, but behind closed doors you can lose your voice. It’s generational and cultural… and it can be changed.”

• On Being Considered Sexy at 60

  • (04:17) Bert poses a question about Fonda being named one of the sexiest women in film in her 60s. Fonda replies:

    “I think it’s a compliment… other women and girls [should hear] that somebody in their 60s could be considered sexy. But—feeling sexy is what’s happening inside you.”

  • She continues:

    “The more you own yourself and…the more you bring yourself into the activity, the sexier.” (04:34)

• The Late Arrival of Self-Acceptance

  • (04:42) Asked when she first accepted herself:

    “Sixty. Yeah. Isn’t that sad?”

    • She adds encouragement:

      “Never give up. It’s never too late. I’m writing my memoirs and it’s a happy ending.” (04:48)

On Bulimia, Family, and Perfectionism

• Struggling with Bulimia

  • (04:53) Bert references Fonda’s battle with bulimia. Fonda confirms she’s writing about it:

    “You got it. Yes. And I’m writing all about that, too.”

  • (05:07) On the breaking point:

    “For me, the final straw was I either continue with my disease or I die. And I don’t mean necessarily die physically… I had a marriage, two children, a life that I felt had meaning… I had to make a choice: go for the light, go for the darkness.”

• Would She Have Had the Same Struggle Outside Hollywood?

  • (05:36) Fonda:

    “Yes, absolutely. You know why? Because I was never told that I was okay… The only time my parents ever commented was to say I was too fat… Parents have to let their children know that they love them unconditionally, no matter what.”

  • (06:07) The lesson she learned:

    “What happened at 60 was I learned good enough is good enough. You don’t have to be perfect.”

A Surprise (and Emotional) Announcement

• Jane Fonda Makes a Surprise Congratulations

  • (06:12) Jane Fonda shifts gears with a surprise:

    “I am so proud to be the first to tell Atlanta and the first to publicly congratulate Bert and Stacy. They are expecting their first child in early November.”

• Bert and Stacy Reflect on Pregnancy Journey

  • (06:34) Stacy shares a scare in early pregnancy, but the doctors gave the all-clear.

    “It was some kind of cap… What he really thought was that it was a fold in the placenta, but he also said it could possibly be a molar pregnancy…” (06:56)

    • Turns out all is well:

      “We just went back Monday, and it wasn’t there… Perfect pregnancy. Be sure to tell everyone and be happy.” (07:05)

    • Emotional reaction:

      Bert: “Once they tell you that there’s a possibility that you will not have the child, it’s amazing how quickly I became so attached to that picture.” (08:44)
      Stacy: “We’d only known two weeks and all of a sudden I was like, I don’t care… this is what I’m having.” (08:57)

• Jane Fonda Shares Her Own Grandparent Experience

  • (07:46) Fonda humorously describes interpreting a sonogram for her daughter and learning the baby’s sex from a “stud muffin” image.

    “If that’s not a stud muffin, it’s a third leg. So I knew early on.” (08:18)

Notable Quotes

• “If I really am who I am and say what I really feel, he won’t love me anymore… You can be very strong publicly, and lose your voice privately.” – Jane Fonda (03:37)
• “The more you own yourself…the sexier.” – Jane Fonda (04:34)
• “Never give up. It’s never too late. I’m writing my memoirs and it’s a happy ending.” – Jane Fonda (04:48)
• “For me, the final straw was: I either continue with my disease, or I die… I had to make a choice: go for the light, go for the darkness.” – Jane Fonda (05:07)
• “What happened at 60 was I learned good enough is good enough. You don’t have to be perfect.” – Jane Fonda (06:07)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:27 – Jane Fonda on not missing acting and current work
• 03:17 – Fonda describes the mission of GCAPP
• 03:36 – Personal struggles and generational silence in relationships
• 04:17 – On being considered sexy after 60
• 04:42/04:48 – Achieving self-acceptance at 60; “Never give up”
• 04:53–05:36 – Long-term struggle with bulimia; family impact
• 06:12–07:14 – Surprise pregnancy announcement and journey for Bert and Stacy
• 07:46 – Fonda’s “stud muffin” sonogram story

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Memorable Moments

• Honest reflections: Fonda’s candor about deeply personal issues—her sense of self-worth, relationship dynamics, and her experience with eating disorders—anchors the episode with authenticity and resonance.
• Generations of acceptance: Fonda bridges her life lessons to her advocacy, emphasizing that hope and self-worth are fundamental in breaking cycles for future generations.
• Surprise and celebration: Fonda joyfully announces Bert and Stacy’s pregnancy on air, sparking a moment of collective vulnerability and gratitude from the show.
• Warm, humorous storytelling: Both Fonda and the hosts infuse depth with wit, as seen in her “stud muffin” grandbaby anecdote and the show’s banter about gender reveal traditions.

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Conclusion

This interview with Jane Fonda is both insightful and moving, blending sharp self-awareness, humor, and humanity. Fonda’s journey from the stage to activism and her hard-won personal revelations speak directly to issues affecting women across ages and generations. The show closes on a high, with laughter and genuine celebration—a reminder of the enduring impact of real conversations.

Transcript

[Jeff Bridges]

Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

[Dana]

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[Jeff Bridges]

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[Stacy]

Nice.

[Dana]

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[Bert]

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[Jeff Bridges]

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[Jane Fonda]

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[Jeff Bridges]

So what are we having for lunch?

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[Jeff Bridges]

The Birch Show.

[Bert]

Chances are pretty good. If they're important to Atlanta, then at one point or another, they've joined the Burt Show. Jane Fonda, no different. Good morning.

[Jane Fonda]

Good morning.

[Bert]

It's so good to have you in here.

[Jane Fonda]

Well, it's good to be here.

[Bert]

You stopped acting in 1992. Is there anything that you really miss about acting? Or what's the biggest thing that you miss about acting?

[Jane Fonda]

No, I don't really miss anything. You know, I test myself. I go to a movie with a part in it that I could have played, and I said, do I miss this? No, I don't. Have you found that you needed to find some other kind of creative outlet now that you're not acting anymore? Well, let me tell you something. The thing that I find creative about acting is that you get inside the skin of another person. And it's all about human transformation and the factors that cause people to change. I'm doing that now, but I'm doing it in real life. I'm working with young people and their parents to figure out, how can you get them to change? From people who see no hope, from people who don't know how to be good parents, to people who see a hope because hope is the best contraceptive. We're trying to get young people from having babies until they're ready to be really good parents.

[Bert]

And this is what GCAP is all about.

[Jane Fonda]

That's what gcap, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, is all about. And that is my creative, inspirational life. Why do I care about that? Because it took me 60 years to get my act together. That's why. And I don't want other girls and boys to have to wait so long.

[Bert]

What struggles specifically, are you talking about that led you into doing?

[Jane Fonda]

I'll just name one.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Jane Fonda]

Oh, my gosh. If I really am who I am and say what I really feel, he won't love me anymore.

[Knox]

Sure.

[Jane Fonda]

And what's interesting is you can be a very strong and powerful woman, politically, socially, professionally, but behind the closed doors of your intimate relationship, you can lose your voice. It's generational and it's cultural, and it's not that men are bad or that anyone's doing this on purpose. It's just. It's part of a society that's been around as long as agriculture, and it can be changed. You know, I figure if I can.

[Bert]

Change, anybody can change in 1995, you were nominated as one of the sexiest women in film. And I was wondering, would you consider being sexy a compliment or would you find that demeaning?

[Jane Fonda]

Well, I think it's a compliment.

[Bert]

It is.

[Jane Fonda]

I'll tell you why I would consider it a positive. Because I was in my 60s, and I think it's good for other women and girls to hear that somebody in their 60s could be considered sexy. But it has nothing to do with your looks. Feeling sexy is what's happening inside you.

[Bert]

And the more.

[Jane Fonda]

The more you own yourself and the more you bring yourself into the activity, the sexier.

[Dana]

At what age did you look at.

[Jane Fonda]

Yourself and just say, okay, I'm okay? 60.

[Hers Medication Host]

Was it at 60?

[Jane Fonda]

Yeah. Isn't that sad?

[Dana]

No, it's good that you got there.

[Jane Fonda]

Cause many women don't never give up. It's never too late. I'm writing my memoirs and it's a happy ending.

[Bert]

You know, we were talking about, you know, self image and stuff like that, and you had. You struggled with bulimia for 20 something years.

[Jane Fonda]

You got it. Yes. And I'm writing all about that, too.

[Bert]

When you've struggled with bulimia for 20 something years, what's the final straw? Where you go, okay, it's time for me to get some help here.

[Jane Fonda]

For me, everybody's different. For me, the final straw was I either continue with my disease or I die. And I don't mean necessarily die physically, but I had two children, I had a marriage. I was living a life that I felt had meaning. It was important. It was, you know, I was very socially active, and I could either continue doing that and be effective or not. I had to make a choice. Go for the light, go for the darkness.

[Bert]

We're talking to Jane Fonda this morning. If you weren't part of the whole Hollywood scene and doing the acting thing, do you think that that struggle with bulimia would have ever happened?

[Jane Fonda]

Yes, absolutely. You know why? Because I was never told that I was okay. I was. Only time my parents ever commented on how I looked was to tell me I was too fat. I was never fat. You know, I was too this, I was too that. Parents have to let their children know that they love them unconditionally, no matter what. To be dismissed because of how you look, it makes you feel that you have to prove yourself. You have to be perfect. And, you know, when I talk about it, what happened to me at 60, what happened at 60 was I learned good enough is good enough. You don't have to Be perfect.

[Bert]

Well, Jane Fonda, thank you so much for coming in. I mean, it has just been a treat to have you in here and an honor.

[Jane Fonda]

I want to make an announcement.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Jane Fonda]

I am so proud to be the first to tell Atlanta and the first to publicly congratulate Bert and Stacy. They are expecting their first child in early November.

[Stacy]

Yes, we are.

[Bert]

Yes, we are.

[Jane Fonda]

Congratulations.

[Bert]

Thank you.

[Jane Fonda]

And they're standing, both of them, right here.

[Bert]

We found out. We found out weeks ago, but we had a bit of a scare.

[Stacy]

We went in for our first doctor's appointment. They had seen something else in. In my uterus with the baby. They weren't sure what it was, so my doctor right away sent me to a specialist, and it was some kind of cap.

[Jamie]

It actually turned out to be a burst. Headphones.

[Bert]

I won't tell you how they got, so.

[Jane Fonda]

It's okay, though. You're all right.

[Stacy]

Yeah. What he really thought was that it was a fold in the placenta, but he also said it could possibly be a molar pregnancy, and that's real scary.

[Jane Fonda]

That means when your tooth is pregnant.

[Stacy]

Yeah. So we just went back Monday, and it wasn't there. So he said the fold worked itself out. Perfect pregnancy. Be sure to tell everyone and be happy.

[Jane Fonda]

Are you gonna want another flavor?

[Stacy]

I didn't want to, but Bert's been begging, so I think we. He doesn't ask for much, so I think.

[Jane Fonda]

See, There you go. There you go. He won. I'm just kidding.

[Bert]

Let me tell you the overall scheme of things. It's Bert, one win and about 55 losses.

[Jane Fonda]

Bert, why don't you find out and not tell her?

[Bert]

I would do that, but she thinks that there's no way I could keep it a secret.

[Jamie]

He would say, oh, my God. No, you do great.

[Knox]

You should. Yeah.

[Jamie]

Cause, you know what? If you slip up and go, how's my little boy doing? Then the next day you go, how's my little girl? You could make Stacy insane. She's already gonna be all hormonal and crazy.

[Jane Fonda]

Can I tell you about my grandson?

[Bert]

I'd love to.

[Jane Fonda]

Okay. We saw. I think it was the second time we went in to see the sonogram, and I. My daughter did not want to know the sex. Okay. You know, I was saying to the nurse, can you tell from the sonogram what sex it is? And she said, not really. You know, on rare occasions, if it's a real stud. Muffin was the word she used. And suddenly I looked at the sonogram, and, I mean, if that's Not a stud muffin. It's a third leg. And I. So I didn't say anything. And my daughter went out of the room and I said to the nurse, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? And she said, you bet.

[Stacy]

Really?

[Jane Fonda]

Wow. So I knew early on they've already.

[Jamie]

Seen the baby's nose.

[Knox]

It's true.

[Bert]

So actually, that's true. We got the pictures back the other day, and here's one thing. You know, when Stacy was telling you that, you know, they found something in the picture that just didn't quite look right. And I mean, I'm talking about the molar tissue.

[Jamie]

She just. She just got a profile shot of you, Burton, and got that joke.

[Bert]

And it was amazing to me because I was. I'm pretty nervous about having a child, but once they tell you that there's a possibility that you will not have the child, it's amazing how quickly I became so attached to that picture.

[Knox]

Right?

[Bert]

Yeah. It really was amazing. Yeah.

[Stacy]

I couldn't believe, like we'd only known two weeks and all of a sudden I was like, I don't care. I know I can get pregnant, but this is what I'm having.

[Jane Fonda]

Yeah, I know.

[Stacy]

Nothing is going to be wrong. It's going to fix itself. I mean, it was like. I just couldn't. It was bizarre.

[Jane Fonda]

Yeah.

[Stacy]

Never experienced anything like that.

[Bert]

Well, thank you for making that announcement for us. Appreciate it.

[Jane Fonda]

Congratulations. I hope everything goes well.

[Bert]

It'll be great. Thank you.

[Jamie]

And you'll have to come back in when little Jane Fonda Weiss is born.

[Jeff Bridges]

The Birch Show Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Dana]

Jeff Bridges. Why are you still living above our garage?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, I dig the mat and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you teach me. So, Dana.

[Dana]

Oh, no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Jeff Bridges]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Jane Fonda]

Nice.

[Dana]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Jeff Bridges]

T mobile is the best place to.

[Jane Fonda]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[Jeff Bridges]

So what are we having for launch?

[Dana]

Dude, my work here is done.

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