Jane Fonda Shares How Women’s Friendships Are Very Different Than Men’s | “They’re Very Important to Our Health”

During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Jane explained why she believes women's friendships are so different from men's.

Jane Fonda Shares How Women’s Friendships Are Very Different Than Men’s | “They’re Very Important to Our Health”
Cover Image Source: Twitter/CBS Sunday Morning

Jane Fonda is a living legend. At 85 years old, she's still going strong, appearing in the hit show Grace and Frankie from 2015 to 2022. Although she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year, she is now in remission. Fonda is known for her health-conscious lifestyle and has previously revealed that she gave up drinking alcohol as she got older as it "affects you differently."

She recently sat down with Lily Tomlin, Sally Field and Rita Moreno for an interview with CBS Sunday Morning about their upcoming movie, 80 for Brady. During the interview, Fonda shared some wise words about the difference between women's friendships and the friendship between men.

Image Source: GettyImages/ David Crotty / Stringer
Image Source: GettyImages/ David Crotty / Stringer

The soon-to-be-released flick, 80 for Brady, features four friends who embark on an epic journey to witness Tom Brady's 2017 Super Bowl performance. Hollywood veterans Fonda, Tomlin, Field, and Moreno star alongside Brady himself in what promises to be a delightful movie. During their CBS interview, the cast spoke about all kinds of topics, including the unique bond between female friends. Fonda explained why she thinks friendships between women are very different than friendships between men.

"Women's friendships are very different from men's friendships and they're very important to our health," she said. "Because you guys, you kind of sit side by side and watch sports or cars or women. Women sit facing each other, eye to eye, and they say, 'I'm in trouble. I need you. Can you help me?' We're not afraid of being vulnerable."



 

Fonda and Tomlin have a long-standing relationship, having previously worked together on Grace and Frankie. The two have grown close over time, forming a bond that has only strengthened with age. "My favorite ex-husband, who is Ted Turner, said to me, 'You don't make new friends after 60.' But I think that he's really wrong," Fonda continued. "What you have to do is be intentional. I never used to be intentional. I would meet Sally Field, for example, but not pursue — well, I did pursue you."

"Oh goodness sake, I couldn't make you stop," Field joked in return. "You have to pursue people that you want to be friends with," Fonda advised. "They stick around and you develop new friendships."



 

As you get older, it can become more difficult to make friends, even after college and going into the working world. It can be tough to get close to people you only see every so often at work, compared to how easy it was to make friends when you were in school. It's even more challenging to make friends when you're a busy mom focusing on her kids. Fonda has some good advice though: make it clear that you want to be friends with someone. Reach out to them, get to know them, and let them know you're looking for a new friend. Most women are happy to have a friend they can trust, so there's a good chance you'll be successful.