Inside Jane Fonda’s complicated relationship with Barbra Streisand after she took a swipe at her ‘love rival’s’ Oscars tribute to Robert Redford

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Jane Fonda surprised some people on Sunday night with a playful comment about Barbra Streisand and their shared friend, the late Robert Redford.

Barbra Streisand moved viewers to tears at the Oscars’ In Memoriam segment. She fondly remembered the actor, who passed away in September at 89, calling him ‘thoughtful and bold,’ and then beautifully sang their duet, ‘The Way We Were’.

While many enjoyed the tribute at the Dolby Theatre, not everyone was thrilled. Jane wondered why Barbra Streisand was chosen to honor Robert Redford, pointing out that she’d only appeared in one film with him, whereas she herself had starred in four.

While Jane’s tone was playful, she has had a complicated relationship with Barbra over the years. 

In 2016, the sparring became public when Barbra claimed to have ‘made Jade Fonda’s career’.

Barbra Streisand reportedly made a dryly humorous comment when someone noted that she had turned down roles in the films Klute, Julia, and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? – roles that eventually went to Jane Fonda, according to the New York Times.

When asked about the situation, Jane was direct on Watch What Happens Live, saying the other person likely makes comments like that to feel better about herself.

‘You have to feel sorry for her. It’s been a tough life. She needs something to boost her up.’ 

Despite her remarks, she offered a slight smile, implying she wasn’t overly bothered by the teasing.

Indeed Jane and Barbra have one big topic that they can bond over – their love of Robert Redford. 

Jane and the late actor had a frequent working relationship, appearing together in several films including Tall Story (1960), The Chase (1966), Barefoot in the Park (1967), and The Electric Horseman (1979). Barbra Streisand, on the other hand, only starred alongside him in one movie, The Way We Were (1973).

Both actresses confessed to having a crush on the popular actor, but he was devoted to his wife, Lola Van Wagenen, who was a historian.

He had four children with his first wife, Van Wagenen, but they divorced. He later married German artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009, and they remained together until his passing.

However, in 2015, Jane admitted she had a long-standing affection for the actor, stating, ‘I’ve always been in love with Robert Redford.’

‘I made three films with him and nothing happened because I was married and he was married.’ 

She enthusiastically shared her enjoyment of filming intimate scenes, praising her co-star as a skilled kisser. She fondly recalled having the opportunity to share kisses with him both when she was in her twenties and again nearly eight decades later.

Robert described his connection with Jane as something truly special, starting when they first worked together on The Chase. He explained that they simply have a natural chemistry and connect easily.

You know, life can get so chaotic, right? We all have our own things going on, our own messes. But I’ve found that when you truly connect with someone – when you’re working with them, side-by-side – all that personal stuff just fades away. It’s like it doesn’t matter anymore. It just becomes us, focused on the task at hand. That shared purpose, that collaboration, it’s incredibly grounding and simplifies everything.

In a 2015 blog post, Jane shared that she confessed her long-held feelings for her friend Bob R. She explained that she had been in love with him for fifty years, even joking about it throughout their time working on movies together. However, she also expressed relief that they were both always married, as a romantic relationship between them likely wouldn’t have been successful.

We have a lot in common – we’re both pretty introverted and tend to be a bit moody, even if it doesn’t always show here.

Barbra Streisand was also captivated by the Oscar-winning actor. According to Robert Hofler, author of the 2023 book The Way We Were, she was deeply attracted to her co-star and found his looks mesmerizing.

According to the film’s director, Sydney Pollack, Barbra Streisand was already attracted to him before they began working together, as he revealed in his book.

Pollack explained that it was understandable why women were so captivated by him – he was incredibly popular and a celebrity, much like Elvis. He achieved this fame well before his association with Hubbell.

The director explained that Robert wasn’t taking advantage of her crush, nor was he trying to encourage it.

The book also alleges that Robert wore two pairs of underwear during sex scenes as a form of personal protection. He supposedly did this because he didn’t view his scene partners as serious actresses and wanted to safeguard himself, as he was happily married with four children.

However, over the years, the pair remained close friends.

In 2015, while presenting Robert Redford with the Chaplin Award, Barbra Streisand playfully reminisced about their brief marriage, jokingly saying, ‘Bob, it was lovely being married to you, even if it didn’t last!’

You know, looking back, what we created together feels more enduring than a lot of actual marriages. I’m incredibly proud of everything we accomplished as a team – it truly feels like something special that will stand the test of time.

They also came together to mark the 50th anniversary of the film The Way We Were, and Robert told Barbra he loved her deeply and would always feel that way.

Since Jane and Barbra had both been connected to Robert throughout his life, it was natural to choose one of them to honor him with a tribute at the Oscars.

Jane recently gained attention after discussing the event in an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

Honestly, when they asked me about the In Memoriam segment, I was a little shocked! It started with Rachel McAdams honoring Diane Keating, and I have to admit, I completely missed it at the time. I just didn’t see that part, and I felt a bit bad about it!

Trying to steer the conversation to Jane’s dress, the speaker suddenly began complaining about Barbra, pointing out that Barbra had starred in three more films with Robert than she had.

She added: ‘I had more to say’ about Robert, as she continued, ‘I was always in love with him.

He was an incredibly handsome and principled man who significantly contributed to the world of film, especially by supporting independent filmmakers.

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2026-03-17 18:39