Jodie Foster comes out... finally

Times of London ^ | 12/12/07 | Veronica Schmidt

[TigerLikesRooster]

December 12, 2007

Jodie Foster comes out... finally

The notoriously private Oscar-winning actress has acknowledged her lesbian partner in public for the first time

Veronica Schmidt

After guarding her private life fiercely for 15 years, Hollywood actress Jodie Foster has publicly acknowledged her lesbian partner.

The Oscar-winning actress thanked "my beautiful Cydney" after winning an award at the Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast in Los Angeles.

She went on to praise Cydney Bernard, saying the film producer "sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss".

Despite more than a decade of speculation, questions over the paternity of her two sons and critics calling for her be “out and proud”, Foster has refused to discuss her sexuality.

The 44-year-old maintained her silence when, earlier this year, gay American magazine Out put a picture of her on its cover above the words “The glass closet – why the stars won’t come out and play.” Inside, it was argued “the stars aren’t willing to make the jump to being officially labelled queer and all that it represents in the business.”

Now that Foster has, reactions are mixed. On American website Gay.com, readers posted comments praising the actress for coming out, while others expressed anger that it was considered news.

“It is her life to live as she pleases. Why do so many gays worry about who is and who is not gay?” asked one reader

“Whether or not Jodie comes out is definitely her own decision, but she would provide an excellent positive role model to GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] people everywhere. I think that is why we get excited when someone comes out,” posted another.

Foster is one of only a few Hollywood actresses to have publicly acknowledged they are lesbian. Comedian Ellen de Generes made headlines when she came out in 1997, as did her partner Portia de Rossi when she was photographed kissing then girlfriend Francesca Gregorini in 2001.

Foster reportedly met Bernard on the set of Sommersby in 1993. The actress later gave birth to sons Charles, 9, and Kit, 6.

The actress found world-wide fame at 14, playing a prostitute opposite Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver before going on to star in Bugsy Malone, Freaky Friday, The Silence of the Lambs and Nell.

Her latest movie Nim’s Island is due for release in May next year.

[traditional1]

[ontap]

Anne Heche made a miraculous recovery, well I guess she did she married a man. Not there is anything wrong with that.

[OldEagle]

"Amazing how many men (including myself) who despise gay men find nothing wrong with lesbians as long as they are hot."

Simple. Men identify with lesbians because they like the same things.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

[Abathar]

LOL

[numberonepal]

She is the best looking (admitted) lesbian I can think of.

There are plenty of mighty fine lookin' lipstick lesbians. As for Jody - I'd still hit it and the other one too.

[Mr. Jazzy]

“Anne Heche made a miraculous recovery, well I guess she did she married a man. Not there is anything wrong with that.”

AND how since then she has COMPLETELY disappeared from any media. Is this because she wants it that way or because she was able to overcome the mental disorder that homosexuality truly is?

Don’t ever think there is not an agenda at work in the media/

[Abathar]

She may have come out, but IMHO she is still one of the best actresses making movies today. I always liked her acting, heck she did a good job as a kid in some of the old Gunsmoke episodes back in the 60’s. I respect the fact she keeps it to herself and private too, unlike so many of the other activist actors who flaunt it to the point you won’t watch a movie they are in anymore.

[Recon Dad]

These two can now be categorized as “old Queens” never more to be know as “girls”.

[numberonepal]

That never deters a man. He always thinks that he could convert her.

There's nothing to convert. Women who sleep with women still have certain fleshy needs/wants. Plastic, silicon, and others things can only go so far. One just has to be in the right place at the right time ifyaknowwhutimean.

[submarinerswife]

The only hope that I have is that she doesn't lecture or try cramming it down our throats like Rosie, Ellen or Melissa Etheridge have done.

I don’t give a damn so stay out of my face.

[numberonepal]

Cat Cora, first female American Iron Chef

Really? I was thinking Porsha DeRossi.

[Jim Noble]

"Why do so many gays worry about who is and who is not gay?” asked one reader

Research into gay psychology was basically abolished in 1973.

There certainly are a lot of interesting questions, and that's one of them.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

CAt beats Porsha in everything but the dopier dopey name contest.

[50sDad]

Anyone have the “Shocked” picture from Casablanca?

[DvdMom]

ActuaLLY Anne Heche stars in the comedy series Men In Trees an ensamble cast about Alaska .

[50sDad]

IMHO, people should keep their private lives to themselves - behind closed doors. During the Studio Mogul Years in Hollywood, The Owners at least tried to hide this kind of stuff.

[50sDad]

I wish that once, just once, the “charming tomboy” WASN’t a lesbian. Sigh.

[Mr. Jazzy]

My mistake.

I haven’t seen her in that show, or any other, for that matter.

But you will have to admit that she is not getting the attention she did several years ago.

[garyhope]

I don’t like lesbians one bit, even if we do sometimes like some of the same thing.