Media mogul Ted Turner He built one of the most influential broadcasting empires in history, but his personal life has also made headlines over the decades. The CNN founder, who died in May 2026 at the age of 87, was married three times over the course of his life, including a highly publicized relationship with the actress and activist. Jane Fonda.
From his early marriages before fame to his Hollywood romance with Fonda, learn more about Ted’s ex-wives and relationships below.
Julia “Judy” Jill Nye
She was Turner’s first wife Julia “Judy” Jill Nyewhom he met while attending Brown University in 1959. They were married on June 22, 1960, in Chicago at St. Chrysostom’s Episcopal Church.
Judy was the daughter of a heroic sailor Harry Gale Nye JrThe couple welcomed two children together: a daughter Laura In 1961 and his son Robert “Teddy” Edward IV in 1963. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1964, before Turner gained national prominence in the media.
Jane Shirley Smith
Shortly after his divorce from Judy, Turner married Jane Shirley Smith on June 2, 1964. Smith was reportedly working as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, and the couple reportedly met at a Young Republicans meeting.
During their more than two decades together, they had three children: I wish, The loverand Sarah Jane “Jenny” Turner. Their son Rhett is better known as Rhett Butler Gone with the winda story that Turner has often referenced publicly due to his love of the classic film. While married to Smith, Turner turned his father’s billboard business into a radio empire and launched CNN in 1980. The couple divorced in 1988.
Jane Fonda
Turner’s most famous marriage was to actress and activist Jane Fonda. The two began dating in 1990, shortly after Fonda separated from her second husband. Tom Hayden. They were married on December 21, 1991, Fonda’s 54th birthday, at Turner’s 8,100-acre ranch in Florida.
Throughout the 1990s, they became one of Hollywood’s most popular couples, often appearing together at charity events and political events. Fonda later revealed that she turned away from acting during their marriage because she thought their relationship would last forever.
Although they separated in 2000 and finalized their divorce in 2001, they remained close friends after that. Turner once described Fonda as “probably the love of his life,” while Fonda often referred to him as her “favorite ex-husband.” In later interviews, she reflected fondly on their relationship and said she would “never love anyone” the way she loved Turner.
