Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – September 02, 2019

P

eterFonda,whowas

bestknownforhisrole

asa hippyrebelin the

counterculturehitEasyRider,

hasdiedattheageof79.

In a statement,hisfamily

saidhesufferedrespiratory

failureduetolungcancer,

anddiedpeacefullyathome

in LosAngeles.

HisoldersisterJaneFonda

(81)said,“I amverysad.He

wasmysweet-heartedbaby

brother,thetalkerofthe

family.I havehadbeautiful

alonetimewithhimtheselast

days.Hewentoutlaughing.”

PeterandJanewereborn

intoHollywoodroyalty– their

fatherwasfilmstarHenry

Fondaandtheirmother

Franceswasa celebrated

socialite.FollowingFrances’

suicidein 1950,theywere

senttolivewithanauntand

unclein Nebraska.

Thesiblingshada difficult

relationshipwiththeirfather.

Petercomparedhisdadtothe

savagemartinetheplaye

JohnFord’sFortApache.

“When people ask me

whatit waslikegrowingupas

HenryFonda’sson,I askthem

if theyhaveseenFortApache,”

heoncesaid.

Petermadea namefor

himselfasthestar,writerand

producerof1969’sEasyRider,

whichbecamea cultclassic

andearnedPeteranAcademy

Awardnominationforbest

originalscreenplay.

Hiscareerwaserratic,but

30 yearslaterhewasagain

nominated,forbestactor

for1997’sUlee’sGold.

Laterin life,heputhis

effortsintoenvironmentalism,

andheco-producedTheBig

Fix, a 2012filmaboutthe

explosionoftheBPoilrig

DeepwaterHorizon.

Heis survivedbyhisthird

wifeMargaretDeVogelaere,

andhischildren– Bridget

(55),whowasanactressuntil

sheretiredin 2002,andJustin

(53),alsoanactor,bothfrom

hisfirstmarriagetoartist

SusanBrewer(80).

performeda versionofhissong

Candlein theWindatPrincess

Diana’sfuneralin 1997,added,

“PrinceHarry’smother,Diana,

PrincessofWales,wasone

ofmydearestfriends.I feela

profoundsenseofobligation

toprotectHarryandhisfamily

fromtheunnecessarypress

intrusionthatcontributed

toDiana’suntimelydeath.”

Herevealedthathehad

paid for their flight to France

withtheirthree-month-old

sonArchieto“maintaina

highlevelofmuch-needed

protection”andthathe’d

offsettheenvironmental

effectsbydonatingtoa

carbonfootprintfund.

“I’mcallingonthepress

toceasetheserelentlessand

untrueassassinationsontheir

characterthatarespuriously

craftedonanalmostdaily

basis,” he said in a series

Fonda

farewell

THE LEGENDRIDES OFF

INTO THE SUNSET

Sixtiesstyle:PeterandJanehada fractured

relationship with dad Henry (centre).

Eltonwantedtogive

familyareprieve the

the glare of public life.from

Peter,withJanein 2014,

livedlargelyin theshadow

of his superstar sister.

Hismostcelebrated

rolesweresurprise

hitsUlee’sGoldand

Easy Rider(left).

ofimpassionedtweets.

Talk-showhostEllen

DeGeneres(61)alsourged

themediatostopattacking

thecouple,sayingthatthey

were“themostdown-to-earth,

compassionatepeople”.

Sheadded,“Imagine

beingattackedfor

everythingyoudo,when

allyou’retryingtodo is

maketheworld

better.” she said.