Cydney Bernard has always been in the background. But on Tuesday night at the 16th Annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast, she was front-and-center as Jodie Foster acknowledged her after accepting the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. In her heartwarming speech, Jodie thanked “my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss.”

Anyone who is familiar with the Jodie-Cydney saga would be surprised at this subtle but revealing statement. The two are said to have met on the set of Sommersby in 1993. Some time thereafter, they began living together. They have also been raising sons, Charles Bernard Foster and Kit Bernard Foster. Even though all these are public knowledge, nothing has ever been directly admitted to the press regarding their relationship. Foster has a strict “no personal questions” interview policy.

Foster says why in an interview with More magazine.

Let’s talk about your ring.

This one? [Proffers left hand] It’s Tiffany, an eternity ring.

You’re wearing it on your wedding ring finger.

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

Don’t you think wearing a ring like that raises questions?

Well, but that’s my life. I thought about this recently: I had a nightmare the other night. Well, anyway…

C’mon! Let’s hear the nightmare!

I was being interviewed by somebody, like an innocuous [press] junket thing. They were asking me questions about food I liked or whatever. Then they said, [in a high, innocent voice] “Have you ever written any homemade anti-Semitic cards?” And I was like, [horrified] “No!” Then she said, “Come with me,” and I realized to myself, “You’re so stupid. Haven’t you ever seen that 60 Minutes thing where they ask you a banal question? You’re not supposed to say yes or no. You’re supposed to go, ‘Well, that’s interesting.’ Because if they ask you the banal question, it’s because they have some kind of document on you. And now you’ve got to go! And now the camera’s going to follow you!” Then my dream was over.

[Pauses and reflects before continuing]

My life is my life. I’m not going to change my life for anybody. I don’t have any problems with it. I just don’t talk about my health, my dad, who I voted for or what I think of the death penalty, because that would be trivializing my life, selling it for a magazine. 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. The number-one reason for that is: Why would I invite — encourage — more people to sit outside my door and wait for my children to go to school? I don’t have any desire to participate in it.

Do you feel that people appreciate the choice you’ve made to maintain your privacy?

I don’t know if anyone appreciates it now. I’m sure there are all sorts of people who don’t like what I’ve chosen….I think my kids will understand and respect it. In 20 years, people will look back on my life and I’ll be 65 and Britney Spears will be 45, and I think by then people will understand the value of privacy.

Here’s a picture of that ring on Foster, and possibly a matching one on Bernard.

What does this mean? Only she can say. I think the important thing is that within the community, she helps as best she can. Jodie Foster recently donated a huge sum to the Trevor Project earlier this year, geared towards the creation of a 24/7 call center facility for suicidal GLBTQ youth in the United States. With her doing this, and more, does she really need to come out and say the L-word? Lesbian visibility is nice, but maybe it’s enough that she’s living her privately life truthfully and with dignity, just as she is.