Addressing Hollywood鈥檚 biggest stars at the 70th annual Golden Globes ceremony Sunday night, Jodie Foster said she鈥檚 鈥榣oud and proud鈥� in a speech that has left many wondering: did she just come 'out of the closet'?
The veteran actress suggested she had a big announcement when she took to the stage to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.
"I'm just going to put it out there, loud and proud ... I am, uh, single," pausing for dramatic effect. "I hope you're not disappointed that there won't be a big coming-out speech tonight. I already did my coming-out about a thousand years ago back in the Stone Age.鈥�
Foster said she 鈥渙pened up鈥� years ago to trusted family, friends and co-workers, then 鈥済radually and proudly,鈥� to everyone who knew her personally.
鈥淏ut now apparently I鈥檓 told that every celebrity is expected to honour the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance, and a prime-time reality show,鈥� she quipped. 鈥淢y reality show would be so boring.鈥�
The 50-year-old has been reluctant to discuss her sexual orientation in the past and she used much of her stage-time at the Globes to discuss the value of privacy.
鈥淚f you had been a public figure from the time you were a toddler, if you had to fight for a life that felt real and normal and honest against all odds, then maybe you, too, would value privacy above all else,鈥� she said.
Backstage, when asked why she chose a public forum to discuss her private life, she told reporters:
"The speech kind of speaks for itself. ... It's a big moment. I wanted to say what's most in my heart."
The ambiguous speech sent the Twitter world abuzz, with some celebrities praising Foster for her 鈥渕oving鈥� words, while others were left confused.
Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted: 鈥淵ep, the Jodie Foster speech got me. Well done Lady.鈥�
Openly gay TV personality Rosie O鈥橠onnell wrote: 鈥渏odie foster 鈥� rather amazing speech鈥� and actress Emmy Rossum tweeted that the speech was an 鈥渋nspiration.鈥�
eTalk鈥檚 Ben Mulroney said while Foster鈥檚 speech was the most memorable and talked-about moment of the show, it鈥檚 still not clear what the Oscar winner meant to convey.
鈥淚 don't know what that speech was, and depending on who you were, you heard different things,鈥� Mulroney told CTV鈥檚 Canada AM on Monday. 鈥淪ome people found it to be an exceptionally inspiring speech. I was more confused than anything else.鈥�
He continued: 鈥淎ll I know is she had complete control over her speech and those were the words that she wanted to say. Everybody heard her, I just don't know that everybody understood.鈥�
