Jodie’s love is beautiful

Someone please check the skies. Are pigs flying? Jodie Foster is striding ever further out of the closet. And by ever further, I mean getting thisclose to kicking to damn door off its hinges. On Tuesday, Jodie received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the 16th annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast. During her emotional acceptance speech she thanked “my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss.”OK, I’m to give you a minute to let that information sink in. Because, yes, you read that right. One of the most private stars in Hollywood just publicly thanked her longtime partner Cydney Bernard in front of a room full of industry heavyweights and assembled media. That, my friends, is MAJOR.It has been a year of quiet and not-so-quiet revelations for Jodie. In March her whole family -- Cydney and their sons Charles and Kit -- attended the “Meet the Robinsons” premiere, though they did not pose together. In April, “Out” magazine put models wearing Jodie and Anderson Cooper masks on its controversial “Glass Closet” cover. In June, she made an undisclosed, but “extraordinarily generous” donation to The Trevor Project, the nation’s only 24-hour suicide prevention hotline for gay and questioning youth.In July, at the opening of the new Saban Center for Health and Wellness, she unveiled a plaque with her son’s hand prints which read “Kit Bernard Foster and Charles Bernard Foster.” Then in August, she discussed the eternity ring she wears on her ring finger and told “More” magazine that “My life is my life. I’m not going to change my life for anybody. I don’t have any problems with it…I don’t have any problems with anybody reporting on my life. It’s just that I’m not going to bring my family into that.” And in September, she used the term “partner” for the first time in an interview when talking to the Denver Post about acting: “I need to have something that doesn't belong to my mom, doesn’t belong to my kids, doesn’t belong to my partner.”And now, this. Wow. I am stunned and ecstatic and stunned some more. I’m not sure if you could tell (since I never post about her or anything), but Jodie Foster is one of my favorite -- if not my very favorite -- stars. The reasons are endless, but most of all I admire her for being such a smart, strong and sophisticated woman. And while I wish she had been out all along, I give her credit for doing it on her own terms. While at times I wasn’t sure it would ever happen, I think it’s safe to say there’s no stopping the forward progress now. Consider those hinges blown. The woman is coming out. Does anyone else feel like having champagne?p.s. Here is Jodie with her mom Evelyn at the Women in Entertainment fete. I see where she got her beautiful blue eyes.p.p.s Jodie also apparently referred to herself as a “professional” and a “gentleman” in her speech. Come on, can we officially call Jodie out now and then call it a day? Bring on the bubbly!

[Enormous, demonstrative and heartfelt hat tip to cappuccino girl, you rock lady!]

UPDATE: Oh, and here is the video. Yes, video.