After being married three times, Jane Fonda has a lot of takeaways from her past relationships. In 1965, she married Roger Vadim, a French filmmaker 10 years her senior. Their dynamic, which was marked by his desire to keep their relationship open, eventually fizzled, and in 1973, the two divorced. However, that same year, shortly after making her separation from Vadim official, the actress tied the knot with Tom Hayden, an activist she met while advocating for a number of social causes. Yet that pairing also wasn’t built to last, and the two eventually split in 1989.
And even though both of these marriages were in the public eye, little is known about her engagement rings from either of these partners. That isn’t the case when it comes to the piece of jewelry she received from her third husband, media mogul Ted Turner, however. When Turner proposed to Fonda, he did so with a black opal and gold ring. The simple ring was a preference of Fonda’s, who later shared that she didn’t want her third husband to think that she was marrying him for his money. However, unfortunately, the ring—which Hello values at around $10,000—may have played a role in foreshadowing the outcome of their marriage: Black stones are traditionally considered to be unlucky. In 2001, after 10 years together, the two divorced.
Below, all of the details on Fonda’s three marriages, as well as a breakdown of what we know about her engagement rings, including where each of them might be today. Read on for more.
What Happened to Jane Fonda’s Ring From Roger Vadim?
The actress’s first husband, acclaimed French film director Roger Vadim, initially didn’t buy Fonda a ring. The two tied the knot in a spur-of-the-moment ceremony in Las Vegas on August 14, 1965, with only her brother, sister-in-law, and a few close friends and industry colleagues in attendance. The nuptials took place in Fonda’s suite at the Dunes Hotel. “Vadim had forgotten to buy a ring, so he borrowed Tina Marquand’s, which was so big that Jane had to hold her finger aloft throughout the ceremony,” Patricia Bosworth detailed in Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman. However, soon after the couple said “I do,” Vadim made it clear that he needed their relationship to be open. The two eventually had a daughter, Vanessa, and continued their partnership for eight years before officially divorcing in 1973. Even after splitting, the two reportedly remained close friends until Vadim’s death in 2000.
It’s unclear whether or not Vadim ever gifted Fonda a sparkler. While she occasionally wore a cocktail-style accessory on her ring finger, she was also photographed without such a jewel over the course of their marriage. However, based on their amicable relationship, if the film director ever did give her such a piece, it’s likely the actress kept it or else gifted it to their daughter—after their split.
What Happened to Jane Fonda’s Ring From Tom Hayden?
Over the course of her marriage to Vadim, Fonda became increasingly passionate about several activist-driven causes, a belief that eventually propelled her to her second husband: Tom Hayden. The couple met in 1971—and married in January 1973 at the actress’s California home. In July of that same year, Fonda gave birth to their son, Troy Garity. Years later, the couple also adopted a daughter, Mary Luana Williams.
It’s unclear whether Fonda ever received an engagement ring from the social activist. She was rarely spotted wearing such a piece on her ring finger, oftentimes just opting for a simple gold band. However, if Hayden did give Fonda a diamond, it’s likely that the actress kept it. Even after the couple divorced in 1989, they continued working together, including on Campaign California, a grass-roots organization. “I learned all the things that I consider the most valuable from Tom,” she told People in 2023.
What Happened to Jane Fonda’s Ring From Ted Turner?
After splitting from Hayden, Fonda tied the knot for a third time. When she said “I do,” to media mogul Ted Turner in 1991, the actress also announced her retirement from acting. (She later reversed that decision and returned to the big screen alongside Jennifer Lopez in the movie Monster-in-Law.) When Turner proposed to Fonda, he did so with an opal stone with two diamonds on either side of it. Set on an 18-carat yellow gold ring from Tiffany & Co., the Book Club star shared that, at the time of her engagement, her stepmother was shocked that she didn’t seek out a bigger diamond.
“It’s very small, and there are several reasons why I chose a very small ring,” Fonda told People. “First of all, we spent most of our time hunting and fishing, and I would have had to take off a ring every single time I put my gloves on to hunt or fish, so that bothered me having to have to take off a ring. And I was worried someone would chop my hand off. And I didn’t want Ted to think I was marrying him for his money. I basically bought my own stuff when I was with him, I didn’t want him to buy my clothes and stuff.” The pair eventually divorced in 2001.
In 2016, Fonda announced that she would be auctioning off her wedding dress and engagement ring from her marriage to Turner. The ring eventually sold for $19,200. Though it’s unclear who bought it, there’s no doubt about the fact that Fonda no longer has the ring in her possession.