Jane Fonda Recalls The Moment Her Father’s Slap Taught Her The Impact Of Using The ‘N-Word’

During a recent appearance on Kerry Washington’s podcast, Jane Fonda shared a story of when her father slapped her for using the ‘n-word.’

Fonda said, “She (Blanchard) had African-American friends, and for the first time I got to know Geoffrey Holder, who I now realize—I always thought of him as a dancer—but someone just gave me a book… of his artwork. He was a great artist.”

She continued, “I didn’t know racism until I went to Greenwich. That was the first time I ever heard the N-word, and I repeated the N-word once, and [it was] the only time in his life that my dad whacked me across the face. He said, ‘Don’t you ever, ever say that word again.'”


She added, “He cared about justice and he hated racism, and, you know, with that slap taught me to pay attention.”