Jane Fonda’s Surprising Rape Revelation: ‘I Always Thought It Was My Fault'

While being interviewed by Brie Larson, she opened up about the struggles she faced at the hands of men. She said, "To show you the extent to which a patriarchy takes a toll on females; I've been raped, I've been sexually abused as a child and I've been fired because I wouldn't sleep with my boss and I always thought it was my fault; that I didn't do or say the right thing.”

“I know young girls who've been raped and didn't even know it was rape. They think, 'It must have been because I said “no" the wrong way.' One of the great things the women's movement has done is to make us realize that [rape and abuse is] not our fault,” she reiterated. "We were violated and it's not right.”

Jane and Brie also discussed the importance of learning to say “no” in Hollywood. Fonda has come a long way from the early days of her career, commenting, "Unlike you, Brie, it took me 60 years to learn how to say no. If anyone offered me anything I would say yes. I took parts I wasn't right for and I was taken advantage of. I didn't know how to stand up for myself. Now, I would say, 'No. This is a piece of sh*t. I don't like the way you're treating me,' and leave. If only I had known then what I do now.”

Aside from saying no, Fonda has had to learn how to balance her professional life with motherhood. She revealed, "I regret that I wasn't a better parent. I didn't know how to do it. But you can learn, so I studied how to be a parent. It's never too late. I am trying to make up for what I didn't know before. When I die, I want my family to be around me. I want them to love me and I have to earn that. I'm still working at it.”