Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3785 LivesSaved
3568 Lives0 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
At age 62, after three marriages and five children, Meredith Baxter is making public the fact that she is a lesbian. The beloved television mom Elise Keaton from “Family Ties” and the former wife of her “Bridget Loves Bernie” co-star David Birney appeared on the Today show this morning, speaking with Matt Lauer about her late-in-life discovery. People magazine is also reporting the story this week.
While she has been dating women for seven years and has been with her partner, building contractor Nancy Locke, for four years, only now is Baxter discussing her sexual orientation publicly.
“Some people would say, well, you’re living a lie and, you know, the truth is — not at all,” she told Lauer. “This has only been for the past seven years.”
And the admission might not have come now except for a National Enquirer story reporting that Baxter and Locke took a Caribbean cruise sponsored by a lesbian travel company last month. They knew the possibility existed that they would be outed, but they took the trip anyway.
“I don’t want to be worried all the time,” she said. “I knew I was pushing it.”
From the Today story:
“Baxter says that her relationship with men was complicated, and it took her decades to understand why.
“In 1966 she married her first husband, Robert Lewis Bush, and they divorced five years later; she married her second husband, David Birney, in 1974, and they divorced in 1989; she married her third husband, Michael Blodgett, in 1995, and they divorced in 2000.
“She explained that she deliberately chose to be with men with whom she clashed, so that she could blame them for the end of the relationship. “It never occurred to me to think, oh, [the problem is] me,” she said.
“Then, seven years ago, she had a relationship with a woman and concluded that she was homosexual. Suddenly, things seemed to make sense.
“I got involved with someone I never expected to get involved with, and it was that kind of awakening,” she said. “I never fought it because it was like, oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life. I had a great deal of difficulty connecting with men in relationships.”
Baxter also spoke about coming out on Sirius XM’s Frank DeCaro show:
“What impact do you think your coming out is going to have?” he asked her.
“I have to take a deep breath again. You know, I don’t know.
“I meet the public, I work with the public a lot, and I’m always thrilled at the kind of recognition I get. You know I haven’t been on prime time for 20 years, so to have that kind of recognition still is very moving for me. I guess I’m hoping that because so much of the … research indicates that people who know a lesbian or gay guy will, when they have to address political issues, when they have someone gay or lesbian in their lives they think a little more openly about these issues and they tend not to vote people’s rights away...
“So I’m hoping that, OK, if I’m that familiar face and you kinda like me, I say OK, I’m the same person, I’m lesbian, hello. Maybe I can make it a little less scary for them. There’s so much misunderstanding and fear around issues that they don’t know, that maybe I can cross that over in some way, give someone else the courage to say, you know, I’ve been thinking about that too, and I’ve been afraid.
“I was afraid for a long time.”
Baxter’s children, who range in age from 25 to 42, have all been supportive, she said.
“I said, ‘I think I’m gay,’ and my oldest boy said, ‘I knew,’ ” Baxter laughed. “The support from my family and anyone close to me has been so immediate and unqualified. I’ve really been blessed.”
The Today Show interview:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34228231/ns/today-today_people/
The Sirius XM interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK0_m3huUO0
YOUR THOUGHTS?
Do you have thoughts about Baxter’s announcement? Does it change her at all in your eyes? Or are we moving past the need for such announcements in society today?
Add a Comment43 Comments
Do we have some angry lesbians here OR WHAT?!!!!!!!
Go ahead all you guys who want to have fantasies about Meredith. I don't mind. You can't control what people fantasize about! So let it go. Have fun out there!
March 1, 2011 - 11:29amThis Comment
What does being a lesbian have to do with the fact that for decades she banked on men fantasizing over her?
April 11, 2017 - 2:01amThen when she's long in the tooth and not the fodder of fantasy, she suddenly discovers her lesbianismishness. Hey, what do I know? Meh.
This Comment
Great point Meredith.!
We really can't let "negative energys", from those who ,need to get thier own life.....instead of ....wasting other peoples. :)
Especially,those, who comment, just to annoy, preach hate, etc........while hiding behind "annonymous" postings. LOL!!
January 23, 2011 - 11:56amThis Comment
Who cares?
June 21, 2010 - 4:16amThis Comment
Why do men and women wait till they are wrinkled and old to become something they were not previously. You Know. He-shes, trannys and here, Miz Baxter Bernie. I had to listen to this pucker lipped woman announce her three names proudly on every stinking commercial and now she has dropped them and come out. Come out to what? To tell us her preference for sex now! Who cares.
May 28, 2010 - 3:24amIt's a preference and that is all.....Not a Right! In her case just a promotional preference. Obviously she has chosen to quit announcing the middle name of her partner with the appendage of the fore. If I was to have a pure hardcore Gay Preference towards sex (which does not define a family). I would be offended by her using her Preference to promote herself. People like her act genuine when in fact they are disingenuious by using political means to promote themselves. She is probably a lame sex partner anyway and would not shut up long enough to pleasure a partner anyway. No matter the preference.
This Comment
Smart turn lesbo when men no longer want you.
May 22, 2010 - 11:05amThis Comment
Is that what you did??? Senseless, remark,from an obvious ,miserable...."
ANNONYMOUS""
Coward.
January 23, 2011 - 12:06pmThis Comment
Is that what you did??? Senseless, remark,from an obvious ,miserable...."
ANNONYMOUS""
Coward.
January 23, 2011 - 12:06pmThis Comment
I'm with the person who says, "So what?" Why, honestly, am I supposed to care? She's older than my mother, not exactly fantasy fodder so I'm not losing anything here, and no one, anywhere, should care what someone else's orientation is.
I think the real issue here is, why do former actors, musicians and other people of dubious or faded celebrity feel the need to tell us? Ricky Martin? Who cares if he is gay? Meredith Baxter whatever? Nope, don't care about her either.
April 23, 2010 - 4:07pmThis Comment
I didn't even know she was still alive.
April 9, 2013 - 10:11amThis Comment