Jane Shirley Smith is best known as Ted Turner’s ex-wife, but her connection to the legendary media entrepreneur is only one part of a story that has remained relatively private. She was married to Turner during an important period of his rise in American broadcasting, became the mother of three of his children, and remained largely away from the intense public attention that followed her former husband.
Unlike Turner, whose career included the creation of CNN and the expansion of Turner Broadcasting, Smith has generally maintained a much quieter public profile. As a result, reliable information about her personal life is considerably more limited than the information available about her famous former husband.
Who Is Jane Shirley Smith?
Jane Shirley Smith was Ted Turner’s second wife. Biographical sources identify her as a former flight attendant, and the Society for American Baseball Research states that Turner met Smith, then described as a Delta Airlines stewardess, at a Young Republicans gathering. Their relationship developed during the early 1960s, a period when Turner was already becoming increasingly involved in his family’s advertising business and exploring opportunities in broadcasting.
Smith eventually became an important part of Turner’s family life as his career expanded. However, she did not develop the same public celebrity as Turner. Most accounts of her life are therefore closely connected to her marriage, children and family rather than an independent public career.
When Did Jane Shirley Smith Marry Ted Turner?
The exact date of Jane Shirley Smith’s marriage to Ted Turner is reported differently by historical sources. The Society for American Baseball Research records their marriage as taking place on June 2, 1964, while the Encyclopedia of Television and Biography.com list the marriage as occurring in 1965.
Regardless of the discrepancy, the broader timeline is clear: Smith became Turner’s second wife during the 1960s, following his divorce from his first wife, Julia Gale Nye. Their marriage then continued for more than two decades, spanning a remarkable period in Turner’s business career.
Jane Shirley Smith and Ted Turner’s Children
One of the most significant parts of Smith’s life with Turner was their family. The couple had three children together: Rhett Turner, Beau Turner and Jennie Turner Garlington. They were three of Turner’s five children overall; his other two children, Laura Turner Seydel and Robert Edward “Teddy” Turner IV, were from his first marriage.
Turner’s children have become involved in environmental conservation and philanthropic activities, areas that became particularly important to their father later in life. Rhett, Beau and Jennie have each developed interests connected to conservation, environmental causes and the broader Turner family legacy.
What Was Jane Shirley Smith’s Role During Ted Turner’s Rise?
Smith was married to Turner during the years when his business ambitions grew dramatically. Turner took control of his father’s company in the early 1960s and eventually transformed it into a major broadcasting operation. He later became famous for developing WTBS and launching CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network, in 1980.
It is important, however, not to confuse being Turner’s wife with having an executive role in his companies. There is no reliable evidence that Smith was a CNN executive, founder or operating manager. Her significance in this period is primarily as Turner’s spouse and the mother of three of his children, rather than as a documented corporate leader.
When Did Jane Shirley Smith and Ted Turner Divorce?
Jane Shirley Smith and Ted Turner divorced in 1988, ending a marriage that had lasted more than two decades. Ted Turner’s official magazine profile states that the couple divorced after 23 years of marriage, while major biographical references likewise place their divorce in 1988.
The date is especially useful when looking at Turner’s relationship history because it clearly separates his second marriage from his later marriage to actress Jane Fonda. Turner and Fonda married in 1991, three years after his divorce from Smith.
Jane Shirley Smith vs. Jane Fonda
The similar first names can easily cause confusion, but Jane Shirley Smith and Jane Fonda were two different women who married Ted Turner. Smith was Turner’s second wife, while Fonda was his third.
Turner married Fonda in 1991, and their relationship received considerably more media coverage because of Fonda’s international fame as an actress and activist. They divorced in 2001. Smith, by contrast, generally remained outside the celebrity spotlight.
Another important distinction is their children. Turner had three children with Smith but did not have children with Fonda. His five children came from his first two marriages.
What Did Jane Shirley Smith Do Before Marriage?
Available biographical sources identify Smith as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines before or around the beginning of her relationship with Turner. The Society for American Baseball Research specifically describes her as a Delta Airlines stewardess when discussing how she met Turner.
Beyond that, details about her early life, education, birth date and family background are not consistently documented by strong primary or established biographical sources. This makes it difficult to construct a detailed early-life biography without relying on claims that may not be independently verified.
Where Is Jane Shirley Smith Now?
Jane Shirley Smith has maintained a notably private life, and reliable public sources provide very little information about her activities after her divorce from Turner. This lack of information is important because numerous websites publish specific claims about her later life without clearly identifying where those details originated.
Rather than presenting unverified claims as fact, it is more accurate to say that Smith largely stepped away from the public spotlight. Her former husband continued to attract attention through his media career, environmental work, philanthropy and high-profile relationships, while Smith remained a much more private figure.
Ted Turner’s Legacy and Jane Shirley Smith’s Place in His Story
Ted Turner died on May 6, 2026, at age 87, after a career that fundamentally changed television news and American broadcasting. He founded CNN, expanded Turner Broadcasting and later became well known for environmental conservation and philanthropy.
Smith was part of Turner’s life during a formative period that included the growth of his business empire and the beginning of his family. While she is often introduced simply as Ted Turner’s ex-wife, that description overlooks the fact that their marriage lasted more than two decades and produced three children who later became associated with the Turner family’s environmental and philanthropic interests.
Conclusion
Jane Shirley Smith remains a relatively private figure despite her connection to one of the most influential media entrepreneurs of the 20th century. As Ted Turner’s ex-wife, she was married to him during a major period of his professional development and became the mother of Rhett, Beau and Jennie Turner. Their marriage ended in 1988 after more than two decades together.
Although much of Smith’s personal history remains outside the public record, the documented facts provide a clear picture of her place in Turner’s biography. She was his second wife, a former Delta Air Lines flight attendant, and the mother of three of his five children. Beyond those established details, her preference for privacy means that responsible coverage should distinguish verified information from speculation.
