A Deep Dive Into Jodie Foster's Hush-Hush Relationship History
Jodie Foster has been in the spotlight since she was the teeny toddler who starred in the Coppertone ad, but she has kept her personal life as far from it as she could. When she welcomed her first son, Charlie, in July 1998, Foster wasn't even openly with anyone. As such, news of her pregnancy raised questions about the identity of the father. Foster refused to engage. "I couldn't be happier. But no, I'm not going to discuss the father, the method or anything of that nature," she said, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Foster confirmed she was pregnant again in 2001, welcoming her son Kit that September. Once again, everyone just needed to know if the father was the same person. "I won't answer that," she told People. Over the years, there has been plenty of speculation regarding Foster's private life, including that she was lesbian. Her own brother, Buddy, wrote in a 1997 biography about her that Foster had lived with a woman in the '80s, though he didn't explicitly label her sexuality.
In between pregnancies, Foster was also linked to Russell Crowe. Speculation sparked when Foster and Crowe attended the 2000 Golden Globe ceremony together and were seen hugging and kissing. Crowe denied the rumors. "We didn't go shopping for baby clothes and no, I'm not Charlie's father," he told TV Guide. Staying true to herself, Foster never fueled the fire. Years later, though, she revealed she had been very much paired up during those years.
Jodie Foster welcomed her children with Cydney Bernard
In 2007, Jodie Foster confirmed she had been in a relationship with her rumored partner, producer Cydney Bernard when she mentioned her at the Power 100 Women in Entertainment ceremony. "My beautiful Cydney, who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss," Foster said. Foster reportedly met Bernard in 1993, when they worked together on the period drama "Sommersby." That means Foster welcomed her boys with Bernard.
After 15 years together, Foster and Bernard went their separate ways in 2008, a year after they went public with the relationship. But the two remained close after their split. "There is no way I could ever stand here without acknowledging one of the deepest loves of my life, my heroic co-parent, my ex-partner in love but righteous soul sister in life, my confessor, ski buddy, consigliere, most beloved BFF of 20 years, Cydney Bernard," Foster said in her acceptance speech at the 2013 Golden Globes.
Foster continued to raise Charlie and Kit with Bernard as a united front. "Thank you, Cyd. I am so proud of our modern family," she added. While there's clearly no bad blood between Foster and Bernard, their breakup was reported to have been contentious. According to tabloid reports, Foster had fallen for another woman. "The relationship has been shattered," a source told The National Enquirer, MTV News reported in May 2008. While the cheating claims remained just rumors, Foster did move on fairly quickly.
Jodie Foster briefly dated screenwriter Cynthia Mort
Given that Jodie Foster hardly ever talks about her private life, the details of her relationship with Cynthia "Cindy" Mort are murky. In May 2008, it was reported they met on the set of the 2007 thriller "The Brave One" in 2006, two years before her breakup with Cydney Bernard. At first, they were just friends. Foster had a lot in common with Mort, who at the time was with actor Melanie Mayron, with whom she shares twins.
"Both are openly out, had long-term girlfriends and were raising children with their partners," an insider told the Daily Mail. They eventually developed feelings for each other and ended their respective relationships. "Cydney had no idea their relationship was in trouble until Jodie came home one day and told her she'd fallen in love with Cindy and was moving out," the source added. A few days later, the Daily Mail claimed Foster and Mort started an affair before ending things with Bernard and Mayron.
"The affair heated up last year, and the pair have been seeing each other since then," the source said. The relationship, however, wasn't meant to be. Mort reportedly left Foster to patch things up with an ex-girlfriend, the publication reported in September 2009. Mort was said to have been living with Foster in her L.A. home. The breakup reportedly hit Foster hard. "Ironically, now it's Jodie who has been jilted," a source told The National Enquirer, PinkNews reported. "She's miserable."
Jodie Foster married Alexandra Hedison in 2014
When Jodie Foster gave her Golden Globes acceptance speech in January 2013, she shared she was single. But the days of that relationship status were numbered. Foster was first linked to artist Alexandra Hedison months later when they were seen together at a Fox Studios event in the summer. E! News confirmed the relationship in September 2013. "It's pretty serious," a source told the publication. "They're totally in love." The insider wasn't wrong.
Less than a year later, Foster and Hedison tied the knot in an April 2014 secret ceremony. "They are very private when they're around people they don't know," a source told People. "But when they're together, it can be like they're in their own world." Unsurprisingly, Foster keeps her marriage just as out of the spotlight as she kept all her other relationships. But when the occasion is really important, Foster can't help but share her gratitude. "I love my wife! Thank you Alex," Foster said before kissing Hedison after virtually accepting her 2021 Golden Globe for "The Mauritanian."
For the most part, Hedison — who was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres in the early aughts — also keeps their relationship out of the public eye, though she also makes exceptions here and there for big dates. In November 2023, Hedison celebrated Foster's 61st revolution around the sun on Instagram. "Loving you is easy as cake. Happy birthday, beautiful," she captioned a photo of Foster in front of her birthday cake.