CNN Founder and Media Mogul Ted Turner Dead at 87 — Years After Being Diagnosed with 'Lewy Body Dementia'
Ted Turner has died at the age of 87.
May 6 2026, Published 10:36 a.m. ET
Media legend Ted Turner has died, RadarOnline.com has learned, at the age of 87.
The businessman oversaw a global cable television empire in the 1980s that saw the creation of CNN, TBS, TNT and more.
A Legacy Remembered
The cable media innovator was famously married to Jane Fonda for years.
The outspoken innovator was nicknamed "The Mouth of the South" for his brash nature. But behind that mouth was a brilliant mind who revolutionized cable television and built a media empire that encompassed cable’s first superstation and popular channels for news, movies and cartoons.
Turner eventually sold his networks to Time Warner and later exited the cable business. Just before his 80th birthday in 2018, he revealed that he had Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder.
In early 2025, Turner was hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia before recovering at a rehabilitation facility.
"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless, and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment," Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. "He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.
"Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world."
Ted the Sports Fan
Turner was a championship-winning sports fan and owner.
Turner was also an internationally known yachtsman and won the America's Cup in 1977. He was a beloved sports fan and owned the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and MLB's Atlanta Braves, which won the World Series in 1995.
The businessman also pioneered World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which became the main competitor to Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Outside the business world, Turner was a famed philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation. He was an especially outspoken activist against nuclear weapons and crusaded to eliminate them.
Turner passed his environmentalism on, creating the Captain Planet cartoon to educate kids about the environment.
Fond of Fonda
He and Fonda were married for a decade
Turner leaves behind five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, as well as ex-wife Jane Fonda. He married the actress in 1991, and spent the next decade with her before their divorce in 2001.
Despite the breakup, Fonda and Turner remained close friends, keeping in touch and attending each other’s charity events.
"Just because people get divorced doesn’t mean they stop loving each other," Fonda previously said. "It may be hard for two people to live together, but I can’t ever forget the reasons that made me fall in love with him."
Trump Pays Tribute
Ted was remembered by President Trump.
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Turner was eulogized by President Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform to mourn the man – while still finding space to take a swipe at CNN.
"Ted Turner, one of the Greats of All Time, just died. He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by the Deal because the new ownership took CNN, his 'baby,' and destroyed it," Trump shared.
"It became woke, and everything that he is not all about. Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory.
"Regardless, however, one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
