Jane Fonda Relaunches McCarthy-Era Free Speech Initiative, With Support From 800 Celebs

Jane Fonda Relaunches McCarthy-Era Free Speech Initiative, With Support From 800 Celebs Award-winning actor and political activist Jane Fonda has revived the Committee for the First Amendment, founded by her father, Henry Fonda, and other Hollywood celebrities in 1947. The original group was formed specifically in response to the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was designed to disparage and blacklist those with supposed ties to communism and […] READ: Jane Fonda Relaunches McCarthy-Era Free Speech Initiative, With Support From 800 Celebs

Art Oct 6, 2025 0 17 Add to Reading List

Jane Fonda Relaunches McCarthy-Era Free Speech Initiative, With Support From 800 Celebs

Jane Fonda speaking at an environmental rally in Washington, D.C., 2019. (Photo: Fire Drill Fridays via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

Award-winning actor and political activist Jane Fonda has revived the Committee for the First Amendment, founded by her father, Henry Fonda, and other Hollywood celebrities in 1947. The original group was formed specifically in response to the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was designed to disparage and blacklist those with supposed ties to communism and the Soviet Union during the “Second Red Scare.”

Fonda’s relaunch of the Committee comes amid increasing attempts by the Trump Administration and federal government to curb free speech. In the past year alone, book bans in schools and libraries have ballooned; 46 states and U.S. territories have been forced to remove “gender ideology” content from sex education materials; Trump has attempted to sue Penguin Random House and The New York Times for $15 billion; and Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was briefly suspended due to his comments about the Charlie Kirk assassination. A statement announcing the revival notes that these developments mirror the McCarthy era, described as a “dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.”

“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 statement continues. “We refuse to stand by and let that happen. Free speech and free expression are the inalienable rights of every American of all backgrounds and political beliefs—no matter how liberal or conservative you may be.”

The statement was signed by more than 800 celebrities from across the entertainment industry, including Billie Eilish, Anne Hathaway, Whoopi Goldberg, Spike Lee, Pedro Pascal, Barbra Streisand, and Ben Stiller. On October 1, Fonda also took to social media to share more about the Committee for the First Amendment.

“We’re artists. We’re creatives. Freedom of expression is essential to what we do,” she said. “We’re not looking to build an organization. We’re looking to grow a movement.”

Despite not mentioning the Trump Administration by name, government officials still got the memo. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a statement in response to the relaunch, in which she referred to Fonda as “Hanoi Jane,” a nickname given by conservative critics after the actor visited North Vietnam in 1972.

“Hanoi Jane is free to share whatever bad opinions she wants,” Jackson said. “As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech and Democrat allegations to the contrary are so false, they’re laughable.”

Fonda has been a progressive activist for decades, advocating for environmentalism, civil rights, women’s liberation, and economic justice. She has also protested against the Vietnam and Iraq Wars.

“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,” Fonda says. “But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life.When I feel scared, I look to history. The only thing that has ever worked—time and time again—is solidarity.”