Actress Jane Fonda shared warm memories and heartfelt praise for her ex-husband Ted Turner shortly before the CNN founder died at age 87.

Turner Enterprises confirmed his death on May 6, though his cause of death has not been revealed. Just days earlier, Fonda spoke fondly about Turner during the opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles on April 30.

While speaking with a Turner Classic Movies reporter, the Oscar-winning actress smiled as she called Turner her "favorite ex-husband." Fonda, 88, and Turner were married from 1991 to 2001.

During the interview, she proudly reminded viewers that Turner created Turner Classic Movies, saying it was "one of the great things that he did."

"On our very first date he talked to me all about Turner Classic Movies," Fonda recalled. She added that the network remains important because it helps younger generations understand the history of film and the stars who shaped Hollywood, People reported.

"We need to know what it used to be like," Fonda said. "We need to know what the greats were like, the great directors, the great actresses, the great actors."

Jane Fonda Pays Emotional Tribute

After Turner's death was announced, Fonda posted an emotional tribute on Instagram. She described him as "gloriously handsome," "deeply romantic," and someone with "a brilliant mind and a soaring sense of humor."

"He swept into my life," she wrote, adding that she had "never been the same" after meeting him.

Their bond remained strong even after their divorce. Friends and fans often noticed the warmth between them at public events over the years.

According to PageSix, Fonda reportedly greeted Turner at a charity auction in 2001 by calling out, "My favorite ex-husband!"

The actress had also publicly supported Turner after he revealed in 2018 that he had Lewy body dementia, a disease that affects memory, movement, and thinking skills. At the time, she told CNN, "I will never love anyone like I love him."

Turner and Fonda first met in 1990 after her previous marriages to director Roger Vadim and politician Tom Hayden ended.

Although Fonda initially turned Turner down, she later fell for what she once described as his funny and complicated personality. The pair married in January 1991 at Turner's Florida plantation and blended their families together.

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