Jane Fonda relaunches free speech group started by her father during the McCarthy era

Source: The Guardian

Wed 1 Oct 2025 12.10 EDT
Last modified on Wed 1 Oct 2025 15.00 EDT


Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, the McCarthy-era initiative started by her father, Henry Fonda, with a groundswell of celebrity support. The new committee, established to protect free speech from government censorship, has the support of over 550 entertainment figures, including: Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Natalie Portman, Aaron Sorkin, Spike Lee, Pedro Pascal, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn, John Legend, Damon Lindelof, Julianne Moore, Janelle Monáe, Barbra Streisand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ethan Hawke, Billie Eilish, Anjelica Huston and Judd Apatow.

“The McCarthy Era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” Fonda said in a statement. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.

“We refuse to stand by and let that happen,” she continued. “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 ability to criticize, question, protest, and even mock those in power is foundational to what America has always aspired to be.”

The original committee was co-founded by Henry Fonda in the 1940s, in response to the House un-American activities committee. The House committee, led by senator Joseph McCarthy, accused entertainment figures of being communist sympathizers, derailing many careers and casting a chilling effect on Hollywood.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/01/jane-fonda-committee-first-amendment-trump