Jane Fonda isn’t hiding her feelings about who got the microphone at the 2026 Oscars.
After Barbra Streisand stepped onstage March 15 to deliver an emotional tribute to the late Robert Redford during the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment, Fonda reportedly had one big question: why her?
Streisand, 83, used her time to reminisce about starring with Redford in 1973’s The Way We Were, calling him a brilliant actor and a longtime friend. She even performed the film’s famous theme song, turning the tribute into a full-on showstopper moment.
But according to comments Fonda made while attending the Vanity Fair Oscars party, she wasn’t exactly thrilled.
“I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford,” Fonda told Entertainment Tonight. “She only made one movie with him. I made four.”
And she didn’t stop there.
“I have more to say,” Fonda added, making it clear she believes she had the deeper history with the Hollywood icon.
Fonda, 88, and Redford’s connection went way back. They co-starred in 1966’s The Chase, followed by Barefoot in the Park, then reunited for 1979’s The Electric Horseman, and later shared the screen again in 2017’s Our Souls at Night.
When asked what she would’ve said in a tribute, Fonda didn’t hold back her emotions.
“I was always in love with him,” she said, calling Redford “the most gorgeous human being,” and praising his values and impact on film. Fonda also credited him with helping elevate independent movies and shifting the industry in a major way.
Redford died on September 16, 2025, at 89. His cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
After his passing, Fonda previously shared that she was overwhelmed with grief, saying she couldn’t stop crying and that he represented “an America we have to keep fighting for.”
Meanwhile, Streisand’s rare Oscars appearance sparked its own wave of reactions online.
In her tribute, she recalled personally pushing for Redford to take the role of Hubbell in The Way We Were, saying he initially turned it down because he felt the character “had no backbone.” She said he eventually agreed after multiple script drafts, and she praised their on-screen chemistry.
Streisand also shared a personal story about Redford teasing her by calling her “Babs,” and described a final exchange in which he told her, “Babs, I love you dearly, and I always will.” She said she ended the last note she wrote to him with, “I love you too,” signing it “Babs.”
Some viewers said the moment was beautiful and had them in tears.
Others weren’t as kind, accusing Streisand of turning the tribute into a spotlight moment for herself.
“Having her sing… made it about her,” one critic wrote.
Another complained that the segment felt “cringe” and “distracting.”
Now, with Fonda openly questioning the Oscars decision, the tribute that was supposed to be purely about Redford is suddenly turning into a backstage battle of Hollywood history — and fans are picking sides.
