FACT CHECK: Was Jane Fonda Denied Service At A Restaurant Run By A Vietnam Veteran?
A Facebook post claims that actress Jane Fonda was denied service at a Montana restaurant run by a Vietnam War veteran.
“Keep passing this on,” reads a line near the end of the post. “We should never forget our ‘national traitor!!'”
Verdict: False
Fonda and her husband did leave the restaurant without being served but not because the owner turned away Fonda for her anti-war protests in the 70s. They actually left because the wait time was too long.
Fact Check:
Fonda, star of award-winning films like “Coming Home” and “Klute,” has been politically vocal through her career, publicly opposing the Vietnam War during the 70s. In 2003, the story of Fonda being thrown out of a Montana restaurant as a result of her activism began circulating online and eventually migrated to Facebook. (RELATED: Is US Defense Spending At Near-Historic Lows?)
She and her then-husband and CNN founder Ted Turner tried to use their celebrity status to get seated before other diners at Sir Scott’s Oasis Steakhouse in Montana, according to the Facebook post. The owner, identified in the post as a Vietnam veteran, allegedly denied them service due to her anti-war activism.
“I am the owner of this restaurant and I am a Vietnam Veteran,” the owner supposedly told Fonda and Turner. “Not only will you not get a table ahead of my friends and neighbors who have been waiting here, But (sic) you also will not be eating in my restaurant tonight or any other night.”
However, there is no evidence that this interaction ever took place. An internet search revealed no credible sources reporting that she was denied service, only those debunking the story.
Fonda and Turner did visit the restaurant and leave without being served, according to Snopes, but not due to her war protests. Owner Scott Westphal, who is not a Vietnam veteran, told Belgrade News that they left by choice because the wait time was too long without reservations.
The couple returned to the restaurant numerous times after their initial visit, according to a Vietnam Veteran News podcast.