A decades-long dispute between two co-stars of the 60s hit movie “Easy Rider” led to one banning the other from attending his funeral.
Dennis Hopper demanded that his co-star Peter Fonda remain absent from his funeral due to the hatred he possessed for the actor.
Established as Hollywood Stars
When Easy Rider hit the screens in 1969, it helped establish Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as two of Hollywood’s newest stars.
While the movie garnered great success, it marked the beginning of a decades-long feud between Fonda and Hopper.
Beef Grows Between Hopper and Fonda
The beef between the actors began while filming their iconic 1969 hit “Easy Rider”.
Hopper claimed he lost out on millions of dollars due to his co-star Fonda.
Hopper Takes Things to Court
In the early 90’s, Hopper sued Fonda in an attempt to obtain credit for writing the movie’s script.
Later, it was announced a settlement had been reached outside of the court.
A Return to the Courtroom
For whatever reason, Hopper was still unsatisfied with the out-of-court settlement and decided to go after Fonda again.
This time, he argued he had not received a fair share of the film’s profits. Again, the suit was settled beyond the walls of the court.
Don’t Tell Dad
Throughout the years, Fonda has claimed his innocence on several occasions.
The brother of famous film star Jane Fonda even wrote about his beef with Hopper and the scandal that followed in his 1998 book, “Don’t Tell Dad.”
Secrets Revealed in Fonda’s Book
Fonda alludes to the reasoning behind the lawsuits in one portion of the book.
“Dennis Hopper is still insisting that he alone wrote the screenplay to Easy Rider and has sued me for cheating him out of ‘millions and millions of dollars.’ It blows my mind,” the actor said in the book.
Hopper Never Forgave His Co-Star
In the wake of both lawsuits, it appears Hopper never forgave his “Easy Rider” co-star, even decades later.
When asked about his relationship with Fonda, Hopper said, “We weren’t friends when we shot the movie. Jack Nicholson and I are friends.”
Fonda Continued to Call
On the other hand, Fonda appears to have had a soft spot for Hopper.
“One can imagine the love-hate relationship I’ve had with him all this time.… Of course, I didn’t think twice about his vow never to speak to me again.… Of course, I go to see all his work, and I call him to tell him how I liked it,” he said.
Refused from Attending Funeral
After a decade-long feud, primarily on behalf of Hopper, he was willing to die without resolving matters.
The “Blue Velvet” star prohibited his former “Easy Rider” co-star from attending his funeral.
Restricted Access in the Chapel
Fonda revealed he had tried to attend Hopper’s funeral when he passed. Yet, he was refused entry into the chapel.
“The funeral service was in a chapel in Taos, New Mexico. I rented a private jet and flew in, but I was not allowed in the chapel,” Fonda claimed.
Beef Died with Hopper
It appears Hopper was happy enough to leave the world without ever burying the hatchet with his former “Easy Rider” co-star.
Fonda would outlive Hopper by just under a decade before he passed away in 2019.
