BREAKING NEWSJane Fonda's Ex-Husband and CNN Founder Ted Turner Dead at Age 87 After Lengthy Battle With Dementia
Ted Turner died at age 87, nearly 25 years after his divorce from ex-wife Jane Fonda.
May 6 2026, Updated 11:21 a.m. ET
CNN founder Ted Turner has tragically passed away at age 87.
News broke of the entrepreneur's death on Wednesday, May 6, following his years-long struggle with dementia, per a news release from Turner Enterprises.
Ted Turner died at age 87.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world."
Turner leaves behind five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as ex-wife Jane Fonda.
Ted Turner announced his dementia diagnosis in 2018.
Turner revealed he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018, shortly before he turned 80.
“It's a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer's. It's similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer's is fatal," he explained in a CBS Mornings interview at the time. "Thank goodness I don't have that. But, I also have got, let's – the one that's – I can't remember the name of it…dementia. I can't remember what my disease is."
The philanthropist's main symptom of his illness was fatigue.
"Tired. Exhausted. That's the main symptoms, and, forgetfulness,” he detailed.
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Jane Fonda Speaks Out on Ted Turner's Dementia Diagnosis
Jane Fonda and Ted Turner were rumored to have split due to religious discrepancies.
In October 2018, Fonda revealed that she knew about Turner’s dementia long before the world found out.
“Ted told me about his condition a while back. People who saw my HBO documentary will recognize that he’s not the Ted we used to know,” she said. “The energy isn’t there. It was pretty obvious that someone was wrong. I think it’s good that he’s said what it was and that it’s being managed. Through Ted, people will now have an opportunity to learn more about Lewy Body disease. Most likely don’t realize this is what Robin Williams [was diagnosed with after his death in 2014]. But in Robin’s case, it was misdiagnosed. They didn’t catch it in time to save him.”
Jane Fonda Honored Ted Turner at 2025 Event
Jane Fonda and Ted Turner were married for 10 years.
In November 2025, Fonda got emotional when speaking about the charity she co-founded with Turner, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential (GCAPP).
"It was a very challenging time in Georgia. Had I not been with Ted, this was something, had he not stood by me with his love and support, we never would have survived," she expressed at GCAPP's 30th annual EmPower Party. "Ted’s not here, but he is here in my heart and I know he is here in a lot of our hearts."
The stars were married from 1991 to 2001 and broke up due to lifestyle differences. In his 2008 memoir, Turner disclosed that he was “upset” when he discovered his wife’s religious “conversion,” but “it wasn't because she had become Christian” that drove them apart. Rather, it was the fact that the actress did not talk to him about her desire to change her faith.
"Our closets faced each other's, and when I saw her empty space I sat down on the floor between them and cried," he wrote in his book of their split.
