Jane Fonda Relaunches Her Father's McCarthy-era Free Speech Initiative

The Committee for the First Amendment was originally formed by Henry Fonda in 1947.

Jane Fonda in Seattle on July 14

Oct. 1, 2025, 1:27 PM EDT

By Daniel Arkin

Oscar-winning actor and progressive activist Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, a free speech initiative originally spearheaded by her father, Hollywood icon Henry Fonda, in response to the rise of “McCarthyism” during the 1940s.

“The federal government is once again engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry,” the committee said in a statement. “We refuse to stand by and let that happen.”

The statement was co-signed by nearly 600 figures in the entertainment industry, including Whoopi Goldberg, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Aaron Sorkin, Barbra Streisand, Ben Stiller and Kerry Washington.

Henry Fonda formed the original incarnation of the Committee for the First Amendment in 1947, during the “Second Red Scare,” a period of growing fear about communist infiltration and Soviet Union influence in Washington, Hollywood and beyond.

The period is closely associated with Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., an anti-communist crusader who achieved national recognition for his fiery rhetoric and aggressive tactics. McCarthy’s critics characterized him as a demagogue.

Henry Fonda’s initiative was supported by some of the most famous stars of the era, including Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.

Hollywood was roiled last month after ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show amid criticism from the chairman of the Federal Communications Committee, who took issue with the host’s comments about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

More than 400 celebrities, in an open letter released by the American Civil Liberties Union, decried Kimmel’s suspension as a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” Kimmel has since returned to ABC’s airwaves.

“I’m 87 years old. I’ve seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I’ve been celebrated, and I’ve been branded an enemy of the state,” Jane Fonda said in a statement on Wednesday. “But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life.”

Jane Fonda has long advocated for progressive causes, including environmentalism, the Civil Rights Movement, the women’s liberation movement and the LGBTQ rights movement. She publicly protested against the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.

“They’re betting on our fear and our silence,” she said in her statement, without identifying any political figures by name. “But our industry — and artists around the world — have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.”

The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.