Bridget Fonda doesn’t care to keep up with the Kardashians — or even her Aunt Jane Fonda — judging by the first public photos of her in 12 years.
These photos, seen today on her 58th birthday, show the once svelte and glamorous star, who retired from acting in 2002, looking very different from her red carpet heyday.
Fonda wore a black and white striped jersey top and black sweatpants, her face without makeup, as she was seen driving in Los Angeles.
Fonda is part of the famous Fonda dynasty of actors. Her grandfather is the late actor Henry Fonda, her father is actor Peter Fonda and her aunt is actress Jane Fonda, 84. Peter Fonda died aged 79 in 2019.
Fonda is said to have left acting after a serious car accident in 2003, in which she broke her back, and also because she wanted to focus on raising her son, Oliver, 17, with her husband from 19 year old composer and former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman. , 68 years old. Elfman has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from his marriage to Geri Eisenmenger.
Elfman is still active in the entertainment industry and posts frequently on his Instagram account with 158,000 followers, which rarely features his family and instead focuses on his work as a musician and the family dog, Yuki. Two days ago, Elfman announced that he would be performing at the Coachella Music Festival this year,
Fonda’s biggest film was the lead role in the 1992 thriller “Single White Female.” She is also known for her roles in “The Godfather Part III” in 1990, “Singles” in 1993, “Point of No Return” in 1993, “It Could Happen to You” in 1994 and “Jackie Brown” in 1997. Her last role was in a TV movie called “Snow Queen” in 2002.
She made her film debut in her father’s classic film, “Easy Rider,” in 1969, when she was just five years old. She has a younger brother, Justin Fonda, 55, who works both behind and in front of the camera in film and television.
One of the last times she was seen at a Hollywood event was in 2009 when she attended the Los Angeles premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s World War II film, ‘Inglourious Basterds’. ” with Elfman.
“I wonder what kind of satisfaction I would have with where I am now if I weren’t part of a family that did such phenomenal work,” Fonda told Movieline for a 1993 cover. “I wonder what it would be like to know that you did it entirely on your own initiative I sometimes wonder if I would be more at peace if I could know that I did it myself, instead of always wondering how many times my name kicked me out.
Fonda, who graduated from NYU in 1986, also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.
In February 2003, she miraculously survived a rollover car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway, driving away only because she was wearing her seat belt, authorities said at the time. Fonda was heading south on the Malibu freeway when she lost control of her 2001 Jaguar – which rolled over an embankment and tumbled downhill.
Later, it was reported that the injury she suffered to her back was more serious than initially thought.
Bridget has apparently remained close to her Aunt Jane over the years. Photos from a Christmas party hosted by Bridget and her husband in 2009 are posted on Jane Fonda’s website.
“Bridget and Danny host an annual Christmas party, each with a theme,” Jane Fonda wrote. “This year it was Cuba and there was a fantastic full Cuban band. Many people wore costumes. We did minimal work on the costumes but still had fun. Vanessa (Fonda’s daughter) and my grandchildren just arrived from Atlanta in time for the party and to see their cousin Oliver.
Prior to meeting and marrying Elfman, Fonda was in a relationship with Eric Stoltz for about seven years until the two separated around 1998. She then dated musician Dwight Yoakam from 1999 until April 2002.
She and Elfman live with their son at two nearby properties worth about $8 million in Encino in the San Fernando Valley, just outside of Los Angeles. They bought the neighboring properties last year after selling their estate in Hancock Park. They also have a ranch in Santa Barbara.
Although she seems to have found personal happiness since her marriage to Elfman, Fonda hasn’t always come across as completely confident in early interviews. In 1993, she begged a journalist not to write that she smoked. When he asked her why, she said she was worried her grandmother would read that she smoked.
She also said, “I smoke when I’m nervous. I get nervous about not being a good interview.
Representatives for Fonda and Elfman could not be reached by The Post on Thursday.