Jane Fonda makes rare comment about being a stepmother through her 'number of marriages' as she talks family life

Hollywood icon, Jane Fonda , made a rare appearance in New York City at the annual Tribeca Film Festival on Monday June 10.

While donning a striking white pantsuit, the 86-year-old star attended a panel discussion celebrating women in advertising, following the world premiere of "The Final Copy of Ilon Specht."

The film and discussion detailed the creation of L’Oréal Paris’ iconic tagline "Because I'm Worth It" by the young advertising exec, Ilon Specht, in 1973.

In the film, Ilon discusses her trailblazing career as a woman in a profession dominated by men, while also discussing her relationship with her stepdaughter from her marriage to Eugene Case, an advertising mogul.

Jane has been a brand ambassador for L’Oréal since 2006 and shared her fondness for Ilon and her work. As a stepmother herself, Jane also connected with her in this manner.

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"Having had a lot of stepchildren in my life through a number of marriages, I was very moved that the woman who came up with this tagline was also a wonderful stepmother," stated the actress.

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Jane is a mother to three children, Vannessa Vadim, Troy Garity, and Mary Luana Williams. Her oldest daughter Vannessa was the product of her first marriage with French film director Roger Vadim.

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Together with her second husband, Tom Hayden, they parented their son, Troy, and adopted second daughter, Mary.

However, over the course of her three marriages, she has been the stepmother to several children – a fact she rarely discusses.

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Before marrying Vadim in 1965, he had fathered two children from previous relationships: Christian and Nathalie Vadim. Only young children at the time of their father’s marriage to the actress, Nathalie later described to the star's biographer, Patricia Bosworth, that "Jane was the love of my father's life."

Their marriage ended only eight years later in 1973. Decades later during her marriage to news tycoon and CNN founder, Ted Turner, in 1991, she became the stepmother of his five children, Laura, Robert Edward IV, Jennie, Beau, and Rhett Turner.

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Over their ten years together, Jane's biological children and her new family blended during family gatherings. In present day, the star has apparently "closed up shop down there" and has taken a break from dating.

However, it's been a busy year for the two-time Oscar-winner. Last month, Jane and her long-time 9 to 5 co-star, Lily Tomlin, reunited for the Hollywood premiere of the Still Working 9 to 5 documentary.

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They look forward to Jennifer Anniston’s reimagining of the workplace comedy with writer Diablo Cody for 20th Century Studios.

Just a few days earlier, the beloved star closed down the Cannes Film Festival with a show-stopping black sequined fit and praise about the growing representation of women at the festival.