May you Rest in Peace
Peter Fonda Dead at 79 After Respiratory Failure from Lung Cancer: 'Please Raise a Glass to Freedom'
Peter Fonda was best known for his starring role as Wyatt in 1969’s Easy Rider
By Elizabeth Leonard and Joelle Goldstein
August 16, 2019 06:17 PM
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Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda, the son of Henry Fonda and the younger brother of Jane Fonda, has died, PEOPLE confirms. He was 79.
Peter’s family confirmed the sad news in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Friday and said that the two-time Oscar-nominee died after suffering respiratory failure due to lung cancer.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away,” the family said. “[Peter] passed away peacefully on Friday morning, August 16 at 11:05 a.m. at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family.”
“The official cause of death was respiratory failure due to lung cancer,” they continued.
“In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy,” they wrote.
“And, while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life,” the Fonda family finished. “In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom.”
Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda DAVID HEERDE/SHUTTERSTOCK
RELATED: Growing Up Fonda
Peter, who became a movie star and counterculture icon with his 1969 movie Easy Rider, was born in New York City to screen legend Henry Fonda and Frances Seymour Brokaw.
The star spent his early years growing up alongside his older sister, Jane, until he was sent to boarding school at just 6 years old.
Their childhood was struck by tragedy when their mother, who struggled with her mental health, died by suicide when Peter was 10 and Jane was 12.
In his 1998 book, Don’t Tell Dad: A Memoir, Peter said his mom’s death was something that his “forbidding figure” father, who was remote and often away on set, lied about and subsequently “ignored”.
“When I walked toward [my family] they told me to go through the closed doors and into the living room. I opened the doors and saw Jane, Grandma, and Dad sitting on the couches. Jane was on Dad’s lap,” Peter recalled in the memoir. “I went to Grandma, and she told me Mother had died of a heart attack, in a hospital.”
https://people.com/movies/peter-fonda-dead-at-79/
