I didn’t address the Oscars In Memoriam section in our coverage yesterday for multiple reasons. One, it’s a huge bummer, especially because we’ve lost so many greats in the past year. Two, this year’s In Memoriam section was a mix between beautiful, respectful and high camp. The way they honored Rob Reiner’s life and work was beautiful, the way Rachel McAdams honored Diane Keaton was lovely and emotional. Then Barbra Streisand came out to honor Robert Redford and it was BONKERS. It was reported ahead of time that Barbra would sing “Memories,” which is from The Way We Were, the film she did with Redford. I wasn’t expecting Barbra to come out and tell a weird story about how Bob Redford called her “Babs,” nor was I expecting her to just whip out a microphone and start warbling. Well, someone else was unhappy with the Redford tribute: Jane Fonda, who worked with Redford four times.
Jane Fonda is playfully teasing Barbra Streisand, who attended the 2026 Oscars to pay tribute to her late co-star and friend Robert Redford.
“I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford?” Fonda quipped during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday night. “She only made one movie with him; I made four! I have more to say.”
Streisand took to the stage during the award show’s In Memoriam segment to honor Redford, who died in September last year at age 89. During her emotional tribute, the legendary singer performed a section of “The Way We Were,” the title track of Sydney Pollack’s 1973 romantic drama, which starred Redford and Streisand.
“Now, Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” the Funny Girl actress also said of the late actor in her speech. “He spoke up to defend freedom of the press, protect the environment and encouraged new voices at his Sundance Institute — some of whom are up for Oscars tonight, which is so great. He was thoughtful and bold. I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail. … I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me.”
While the 80 for Brady actress didn’t get to deliver her own tribute during the Oscars telecast, she took a moment while chatting with ET to share a few heartfelt words about Redford.
“I was always in love with him,” Fonda said with a laugh. “The most gorgeous human being and such great values. And he did a lot for movies, he really changed movies, lifted up independent movies.”
Many pointed out that this is how Redford would want to be honored – having women fight over who loved him more and who got to pay tribute to his life and work. It just shows that Redford really was an icon, you know? Anyway, I think Barbra probably got the call because of “Memories” and because of the staying power of The Way We Were. That being said, people should revisit Barefoot in the Park, starring Redford and Fonda, because they are both absolutely amazing in that.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images and Netflix
