Say it ain’t so

I am going to hedge this post with a simple warning: consider the source. The National Enquirer, that pillar of journalistic ethics, is reporting that Jodie Foster and her long-time partner Cydney Bernard have split. Their exact headline elegantly reads: JODIE DUMPS GIRLFRIEND. Of course, this being age of the endless links, this story spread like wildfire among the blogs and tabloids. Three people emailed it to me yesterday and I’ve found it countless times myself with a simple spin around The Internets.

If this is true, it makes me very sad. But that is a big if. This is a publication where 99 percent of the headlines include the words “EXPOSED,” “RAMPAGE,” “CHEATING” or “LOVE CHILD.” So, you know, grab that salt shaker.

Still, what makes me a little more worried about the likelihood of this particular if is that the same rumor surfaced about two months ago around the time of the “Nim’s Island” premiere. Jodie and her sons, Charles and Kit, went on vacation in Australia and were spotted frolicking on the beach without Cydney. Where is she! They’ve broken up! Call the lawyers! Silly? Of course. I paid it no mind.

Then people started to notice the ring. Jodie was showing up to events without the Tiffany eternity band she wears on her ring finger. I thought this was also a sham, so I went into some photo archives to look. But, sure enough, the ring wasn’t there at several events. Or, if it was there, it was on the wrong hand. And sometimes it was a different ring altogether. Huh? In August 2007 Jodie told More magazine:

“I’ve always worn a ring. Even taking photos. Even on magazine covers. I don’t take it off.”

Um, ruh-roh? So I went back further in the archives and found that she has worn the same ring or ring pairing at public events on her ring finger consistently since at least 1998. Besides feeling none-too proud of myself for insanely stalking Jodie’s ring finger, I got worried. Could the rumor mill be true? And why wasn’t Cydney spotted anywhere in the background at any of the Nim’s press events?

And then my compatriot in Jodie love, cappuccinogirl, sent me this shot of Cydney with the kids at the Nim’s premiere. Rumors squelched. All was right with the world. I could now delete the embarrassing number of high-res photos I found of Jodie and the ring from my hard drive. More importantly, I could go finally wash the stalker right out of my hair.

So, now, this. Could it actually be true? Heck, I don’t know any more than the next nut with wi-fi and the ability to Google “Jodie Foster breakup.” I really hope it isn’t. These women have 14 years together. They have two sons together. That’s a family and a life and a lot of heartache for all involved.

What would make this potential split even more sad is that it comes just five months after the “My beautiful Cydney” heard around the world. Never before has Jodie been more public, even if in a sly way, about her love for another woman. And now potentially this. If anything, this might prove that gay relationships are just like straight relationships. They succeed and they fail and they get messy and that is just life. But, let’s just hope it isn’t true anyway. I prefer the fairy tale.

p.s. Of course – having said that – a tiny, totally evil part of me also thinks, DAMN, Jodie is single? I’d better go wash my hair.

[Click to enlarge any of the images for closer ring inspection. Ahem.]