Did Jodie Foster's Gay Friend Convince Her to Come Out & Father Her Children?

Jodie Foster, until recently, had kept her sexual preferences under wraps, although it was widely known within Hollywood the she had a preference for women. In a speech this month, however, Jodie let the cat out of the bag in a public affirmation of her orientation. But why the sudden change of heart? Did someone convince her to finally come out?

At an awards ceremony this month, 45-year-old Foster who had received an award thanked "My beautiful Cydney, who sticks by me through all the rotten and the bliss." Cydney, 54, and Jodie have quietly been involved in a relationship for 14 years. Her public declaration of affection took even those closest to the actress by surprise.

The couple share a home together and take care of Jodie's two sons, Charlie, 9, and Kit, 6. However, over the years they have taken extra care not to be photographed in public with Cydney.

According to the Daily Mail, Jodie's normally tight-lipped friends have spoken up and said that Foster made a promise to her best friend, gay film director Randy Stone before his death from heart failure in February, that she would finally go public about her relationship with Cydney Bernard.

Randy Stone was a well-known gay rights activist, and is reported to have persuaded her to abolish her fears that admitting she was a lesbian could damage her career.

Even more interestingly, however, sources close to Stone believe the he died holding another secret close to his heart - that he was the testtube father to Jodie Foster's two sons. Jodie, however, has refused to name the man, even to her closest, and oldest friends.

Rumors have been circulating in Hollywood since the boys' births that Jodie recruited a gay male friend to be the surrogate father, and at this point, all evidence seems to point to Randy Stone.

Back in 2000, Stone filed a wrongful dismissal case against 20th Century Fox, his former employers. Stone, who had no other children, claimed that he had been fired after asking for paternity leave at precisely the same time Jodie had her first child.

Beverly Stone, Randy's mother, confirmed to the Daily Mail that Randy had asked for paternity leave to help care for Jodie and her new baby in the first days of motherhood.

Randy's mother hopes that one day Jodie will reveal who her children's father is, and hopes that they were fathered by Randy.