Jane Lynch praises Jodie Foster for coming out speech

PinkNews logo with white background and rainbow corners

Actor Jane Lynch has commended Jodie Foster for opening up at the Golden Globes, and talking openly about her sexuality for the first time.

The openly gay Glee actor, Jane Lynch, said Ms Foster’s opening up was “moving and touching”, and she said that she was “grateful” that she had spoken about her personal life in such a way.

Last weekend, actress Jodie Foster used her acceptance speech for the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes to address her sexuality for one of the first times in public.

“A big coming out speech tonight… I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the stone age. In those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends, and family, co-workers and then gradually, proudly, to everyone who knew her.

“To everyone she actually met. But now, apparently I’m told, that every celebrity is expected to honour the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a primetime reality show.”

Speaking to TV Guide, the openly gay actor, Jane Lynch said: “It was really moving and touching. I loved that she shared a little bit about her inner life with us, and what she said about her mother (who suffers from dementia) broke my heart.

“I like the fact that she operates without telling everybody what she’s doing. It was a big moment that she let us into her private thoughts, and I’m really grateful I was there for it,” reports Contact Music. 

Ms Foster had referred to her former partner Cydney Bernard during an awards acceptance speech on 2007 when she paid tribute to “my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss.”The couple had two sons together before separating in 2009.

The Julie and Julia actor, Ms Lynch, recently said that, despite identifying as gay, she sometimes can’t resist the “male charm”, and has said she had a “crush” on comedian Russell Brand.

Back in January she was honoured for her “authentic” gay lifestyle by US organisation the National Center for Lesbian Rights, receiving its Vanguard Award. The organisation said the award was for someone who exemplified “values of equality and justice”.

She previously said that while she does not think Hollywood is homophobic, gay actors will never get to play straight leads.