Jane Fonda Recalls Dolly Parton Once Scolding Her and Lily Tomlin for Crossing Their Eyes in a Photo

Rachel RaposasSat, September 5, 2026 at 2:59 PM UTC

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Jane Fonda (left), Lily Tomlin (center) and Dolly Parton (right).Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo -

Jane Fonda reflected on her decades-long friendship with Dolly Parton, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80

Parton once scolded Fonda and Lily Tomlin for being unintentionally offensive in a photo, which Fonda said underscored her profound kindness

“She meant love. She really did,” Fonda said of her late friend

Jane Fonda is remembering her vibrant friend, Dolly Parton.

The actress, 88, opened up to Democracy Now! about her longtime relationship with the late country star, from starring together in the iconic film 9 to 5 to Parton’s lasting impact on fans, friends and Fonda herself. Fonda’s comments came six days after Parton died on Aug. 25 at age 80.

When asked what Parton meant to her, Fonda fought back tears while talking about her friend of several decades.

Lily Tomlin (left), Jane Fonda (center) and Dolly Parton (right).Credit: United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

“She meant love,” a visibly emotional Fonda said. “She really did. She loved everyone.”

Parton was always thinking of others, Fonda noted.

Once, she, Parton and Tomlin were doing a photoshoot together, and “for fun,” Fonda and Tomlin crossed their eyes in one of the snaps. This didn’t sit right with Parton, according to Fonda, who noted that the “I Will Always Love You” singer stepped in to explain why the move was wrong.

“She got very upset. She said, ‘We never can show this to anybody.’ She said, ‘It was like we’re making fun — I have a relative who’s cross-eyed, I don’t ever want to see this picture,’” Fonda recalled.

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To Fonda, the moment showed just how deeply Parton cared for and defended others.

Fonda also beamed as she remembered Parton interacting with fans. Once, Fonda was preparing for a role set in Appalachia, and Parton was setting off to tour in the area, so the Barbarella star tagged along. The two women traveled through Tennessee and Arkansas, stopping at neighborhoods along the way to visit with fans.

The love surrounding Parton was palpable, Fonda said.

“They loved her so much [that] they accepted my presence. And it was so clear that she absolutely respected them. That was why there was so much love,” Fonda said. “She never played down. She always was pulled together. She was always who she was, out of respect for her fans.”

Lily Tomlin (left), Dolly Parton (center) and Jane Fonda (right) in ‘9 To 5’.Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Fonda admired how Parton was “always in charge of her life,” having a clear sense of self and refusing to compromise on any of it, from her looks to her career.

One of Parton’s most memorable and valuable characteristics was her ability to make others laugh and unwind, Fonda added.

“If she had gotten to the end of the day without her and her friends laughing so hard they had to cross their legs, then she would create a cause for laughter,” Fonda said. “She laughed all the time and made sure that everybody around her guffawed all the time.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”