Names and faces

■ Jane Fonda said she accepted an Austrian building tycoon’s invitation to Thursday night’s Vienna Opera Ball because he offered to “pay me quite a bit of money.” The 85-year-old Academy Award and Golden Globe winner said at a news conference with her date, 90-year-old Richard Lugner, that she needed the money to pay her bills and help her grandchildren. “I support a lot of people,” Fonda said. The opera ball is one of the highlights of the social calendar in Austria and draws many celebrities. Lugner is known for paying undisclosed sums to famous women to accompany him to the ball. His past guests include Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian and Elle MacPherson. Fonda said her commitment did not include dancing at the ball because she has a “fake shoulder, two fake hips, two fake knees.” “I’m old and I may fall apart,” said the actor, whose recent roles have included the TV series “Grace and Frankie” and the film “80 for Brady.” She acknowledged not being well informed before she accepted Lugner’s invitation, telling reporters she thought it was to an opera performance rather than a ball. Fonda, who is well known for her activism to prevent teenage pregnancies and to curb climate change, said she was sorry to learn that Austrian oil and gas company OMV sponsors the Vienna Opera Ball. “These fossil fuel companies are criminal. They’re criminal. They’re killing people. They’re killing the planet,” she said. “Please try to get your opera to stop taking support from an oil company,” she added.

■ Amanda Gorman’s next literary project is a collaboration with a prize-winning illustrator for a children’s book coming out this fall. Viking Children’s Books announced this week that “Something, Someday,” by Gorman and Christian Robinson, is scheduled for release Sept. 26. Gorman became an international sensation and then a bestselling author after reading her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Viking calls her book “a message of hope” about the ability to make a difference in a troubled world. “I wrote ‘Something, Someday’ to show that though it might be difficult, when we work together, even the smallest acts of kindness can lead to the largest positive change,” said Gorman, 24. “I’ve long admired Christian’s art, and having the opportunity to collaborate with him has been a dream come true,” she said. “I hope that readers find joy and inspiration in ‘Something, Someday,’ and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world.” Robinson said, “Amanda Gorman’s words offer us a much-needed balm, with healing properties of honesty, hope and community care.” He added, “This book was an honor to illustrate and it’s my hope that it encourages young readers to be the change they want to see in the world.”

Gorman

Fonda