Jane Fonda revealed on Friday that she has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and is undergoing six months of chemotherapy treatment.
In a social media post, the 84-year-old Oscar-winning actor struck a determined tone and pledged to continue being her usual self ― including in her advocacy work.
“So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I’ve been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments,” she wrote. “This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.”
“I’m doing chemo for 6 months and am handling the treatments quite well,” she added. “And, believe me, I will not let any of this interfere with my climate activism.”
Jane said with some irony that pesticides, many of which are fossil fuel-based, are a likely cause of her particular cancer.
The actor also expressed deep gratitude for having access to quality health care and the means to pay for it — a privilege that many lack.
“I am privileged in this,” she wrote, acknowledging that cancer affects “almost every family in America ... at one time or another.”
Jane closed with a call to action as she reflected on what she believes to be “the most consequential time in human history.”
“The midterms are looming,” she wrote, “and they are beyond consequential so you can count on me to be right there together with you as we grow our army of climate champions.”