“This is a woman whose name is synonymous with outrage,” the Today anchor said on Monday morning.
On Monday morning, Megyn Kelly addressed the uncomfortable interview moment she experienced with Jane Fonda back in Sept. 2017, when she asked the two-time Oscar winner about her history with cosmetic surgery.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Kelly stated that it was time to address Fonda’s “poor me routine,” after the actress began recently discussing her dissatisfaction with the question to various news outlets.
NBC / Via youtube.com
Fonda told Variety that she wasn’t “upset” by the question Kelly asked and was “stunned” because she thought it was inappropriate.
“It showed that she’s not that good an interviewer,” Fonda said, though she also added that she wouldn’t mind appearing on Kelly’s show in the future. “But if she comes around and learns her stuff, sure.”
And just last week on Today, Lily Tomlin, Fonda’s costar on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, cracked a joke about her friend’s “facelift,” to which Fonda replied, “Who are you? Megyn Kelly?”
“First, some context,” Kelly said, diving into the issue. “Fonda was on to promote a film about aging. For years, she has spoken openly about her joy in giving a cultural face to older women.”
Kelly went on to say that “if Fonda wants to really have an honest discussion about older women’s cultural face, then her plastic surgery is tough to ignore.”
Kelly then introduced a slew of clips showcasing Fonda discussing cosmetic surgery, seemingly unperturbed.
“Last year, I had plastic surgery and I’ve been very public about it,” Fonda says in a 2011 clip. “I didn’t want to look kind of tired and jowly,” she says in a 2010 clip from CNN.
“She has discussed cosmetic surgery pretty much everywhere before coming on our show,” Kelly said before airing the clips.
NBC / Via youtube.com
“Look, I gave her the chance to empower other women, young and old, on a subject which she purports to know well and she rejected it. That’s okay.”
Kelly then said she had “no regrets about that question,” before pivoting and saying Fonda’s name was “synonymous with outrage.”
NBC / Via youtube.com
“Nor am I in the market for a lesson from Jane Fonda on what is and is not appropriate,” Kelly said.
She then went on to lambast Fonda for her role in opposing the Vietnam war.
“Many of our veterans still call her ‘Hanoi Jane,’ thanks to her radio broadcast which attempted to shame American troops,” Kelly said.
“She posed on an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot down our American pilots, she called our POW’s hypocrites and liars and referred to their torture as ‘understandable.'”
“She put her plastic surgery out there, she said she wanted to discuss the plight of older women in America, and honestly, she has no business lecturing anyone on what qualifies as offensive,” she finished.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Fonda for comment.
And now, a word on Jane Fonda, who appears to be fixated on an exchange I had with her months ago on this show.
When she first complained — publicly — after the program, and repeatedly, I chose to say nothing as my general philosophy is, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” However, Fonda was at it again last week, including here on NBC and then again elsewhere so it’s time to address the poor me routine.
First, some context, Fonda was on to promote a film about aging. For years, she has spoken openly about her joy in giving a cultural face to older women. Well, the truth is most older women look nothing like Fonda, who is now 80. And if Fonda wants to really have an honest discussion about older women’s cultural face, then her plastic surgery is tough to ignore. Fonda herself knows this, she knows this, and that is why, to her credit, she has discussed cosmetic surgery pretty much everywhere before coming on our show.
She said the same to Entertainment Tonight, to Access Hollywood, to W magazine, for a cover piece, to the Guardian, I could go on.
Apparently when she came here, however, again, to promote her film about aging, I was supposed to discern that this subject was suddenly off-limits. Look, I gave her the chance to empower other women, young and old, on a subject which she purports to know well and she rejected it. That’s okay.
But I have no regrets about that question, nor am I in the market for a lesson from Jane Fonda on what is and is not appropriate. After all, this is a woman whose name is synonymous with outrage. Look at her treatment of our military during the Vietnam War. Many of our veterans still call her “Hanoi Jane,” thanks to her radio broadcast which attempted to shame American troops.
She posed on an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot down our American pilots, she called our POW’s hypocrites and liars and referred to their torture as “understandable.” Even she had to apologize years later for that gun picture, but not for the rest of it. By the way, she still says she is not proud of America. So the moral indignation is a little much. She put her plastic surgery out there, she said she wanted to discuss the plight of older women in America and honestly, she has no business lecturing anyone on what qualifies as offensive.
Watch the clip in its entirety below: