American actress Jane Fonda at Cannes Film Festival 2024© Mondadori Portfolio,Getty

Meet Jane Fonda's grown-up three children from film star son to adopted daughter

The Grace and Frankie actress is a movie and social justice icon

Senior Features Writer
October 7, 2024

There aren't many people in the world you can genuinely call an 'icon', but Jane Fonda is certainly one of them. 

As a world-famous film and television actress, not to mention her pioneering work as a staunch activist and advocate of feminism, Civil Rights and environmentalism, the 86-year-old has had a career in the glare of the spotlight for decades.

Away from her successful work, however, her private life has also been the subject of headlines including her three marriages and long-term relationships.

© Jason Mendez

Jane Fonda

The Academy Award-winning actress is also a proud mother to three grown-up children. 

Find out more about her family and children by clicking through the gallery…

Jane Fonda's three grown-up children

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© Frederick M. Brown,Getty

Vanessa Vadim, 56

Jane's firstborn is Vanessa Vadim whom she welcomed in 1968 with her first husband, Roger Vadim, who she wed three years before.

Two years after Vanessa was born, reports began to circulate that Roger and Jane had split. Their separation was then confirmed but they didn't legally divorce until 1973, just three days before she wed her second husband Tom Hayden.

Vanessa was born in Paris but grew up in California with her mom. In the 1980s, Vanessa would attend Brown University and picked up her mother's passion for social justice and would often accompany her at rallies and marches.

She followed in her mother's footsteps even more so as she now works in the film industry. She's even directed her mom in Jane Fonda's Five Acts. Vanessa is now a mom herself to a son named Malcolm and a daughter, Viva.

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© Paul Archuleta

Troy Garity, 51

Jane's second born is son Troy Garity who she welcomed while she was married to politician and activist, Tom Hayden. 

By the time Troy was born in 1973, Jane and Tom were extremely well known so decided to give him Tom's mother's maiden name, Garity.

The marriage between Tom and Jane came to an end in 1988 but they led a relatively normal family life while Tom was young.

In the early 1980s, she told PEOPLE magazine: "Where I am now is where I will remain for the rest of my life. The family is solid. I feel stable and happy and lucky."

These days, the 51-year-old is, like his mom, an actor and he shared the screen with Jane in the movie On Golden Pond. His other credits include Barbershop and Ballers.

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© Mondadori Portfolio,Getty

Mary Luana Williams, 55

Mary Luana Williams, 56, known as Lulu, is Jane Fonda's third child whom she adopted in the 1980s. Mary was born in 1967 to parents Randy and Mary Williams who were Black Panthers.

Jane knew Mary's parents and she and Tom took in Lulu when her parents could no longer take care of her. Lulu was 14 years old at the time.

It's a moving and powerful story told in Lulu's memoir titled The Lost Daughter. In the book, she details her early life and how she joined Jane and Tom's family.

Jane's son, Troy, opened up about his relationship with Lulu while appearing on Oprah Winfrey's show in 2013: "She just sort of came down and it was fine and happy for me because it was somebody that I had a connection with. 

"She was older, which is always cool when you have a teenager who's actually listening to you!"

Lulu is now an activist herself and founded the charitable organization, The Lost Boys Foundation. 

She also prefers to live a life away from the spotlight and is rarely seen with her famous mom.

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© Ron Galella, Ltd.,Getty

Jane's stepchildren

Although Jane rarely discusses it, she has also been a stepmother in her life through her previous marriages. 

Prior to her marriage to her first husband, Roger Vadim, he had welcomed his two children, Christian and Nathalie, from his previous relationships, 

Nathalie later described Jane as "the love of my father's life".

In the early 1990s, during her marriage to Ted Turner, she became the stepmother of his five children, Laura, Robert Edward IV, Jennie, Beau, and Rhett Turner. 

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© Ron Galella, Ltd.,Getty

What Jane has said about the relationship with her children

During the same appearance on Oprah, Jane opened up about how important Lulu was to her. 

"She helped me to become whole. I think I learned as much or more from [Lulu] as she did from me. But on a psychological level, she helped complete me."

Meanwhile, Jane gave an interview with Brie Larson in 2017 – around the time of the #MeToo movement – in which she revealed she was sexually abused in the past.

But during the same powerful interview, Jane opened up about motherhood more generally and explained she wishes she was more present.

"I regret that I wasn’t a better parent. I didn't know how to do it. But you can learn, so I studied how to be a parent. 

"It's never too late. I am trying to make up for what I didn’t know before. When I die, I want my family to be around me. I want them to love me and I have to earn that. I’m still working at it."

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