Meredith Baxter to Reveal She's a Lesbian on The Today Show - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 12-02-2009, 04:09 AM

Link

It's just a coincidence Meredith Baxter recently appeared in the Hallmark Channel's ''Bound By a Secret,'' but ironically the actress reveals a very personal secret on ''Today'' Wednesday morning.

Baxter, perhaps best known for her seven years playing TV mom Elyse Keaton on ''Family Ties'' in the 1980s, will be the latest star to come out of the closet, revealing she is a lesbian.

While Baxter's spokesman, Howard Bragman, declined to comment on the story Tuesday, a solid source confirmed the actress will talk about her decision to go public on the NBC morning show.

Married three times and the mother of five children, Baxter is the focus of a current National Enquirer story revealing that the former Emmy nominee had been on a ''Sweet Caribbean Cruise'' specifically targeted to lesbians -- a cruise also taken by openly gay actress Kelly McGillis. According to the Enquirer report, Baxter was ''traveling with a female friend, and seemed very relaxed and comfortable.''

In another intriguing twist, the official Web site of the Meredith Baxter Fan Club states the actress is ''noted for her accessible portrayals of intelligent, independent women who struggle with the challenges before them.''

• Following in the footsteps of her aunt, ''All About Eve'' star Anne Baxter, Meredith first found fame in the 1970s, co-starring on TV's "Bridget Loves Bernie" with David Birney, who would later become her second husband. She went on to receive two Emmy nominations for playing Nancy Lawrence Maitland on the esteemed TV drama ''Family.''

After her long '80s run with ''Family Ties,'' Baxter directed and starred in a long list of TV movies, including the CBS after-school special ''Other Mothers,'' in which she played a lesbian mother raising a young son -- a performance that garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1993.

• The appearance on ''Today'' is something of a mini-reunion for Baxter, who temporarily co-hosted with Matt Lauer in 2006.

• Baxter's five-year marriage to Robert Lewis Bush ended in 1971, a union that produced two children. The actress and Birney are the parents of three children. After 15 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1989.

Nighthawk76 · 12-02-2009, 04:22 AM

Good for her! I think that its great that she's doing this.

80sTrivia · 12-02-2009, 06:01 AM

Wow... I had no idea! Kudos to Meredith for coming out at this point in her long and successful career!

catlover79 · 12-02-2009, 08:23 AM

WOW - I had no idea, either!!

sunshinefizzy · 12-02-2009, 12:40 PM

Go Meredith!!!

browneyes106 · 12-02-2009, 01:09 PM

I just heard about this on XM. I do remember seeing that special Other Mothers years ago on HBO. HBO for awhile aired CBS after school specials.

Scoobiedoo30 · 12-02-2009, 01:15 PM

I had no Idea

megamanj2004 · 12-02-2009, 01:53 PM

I saw this and I was flabbergasted! That was a surprise I didn't see coming.

But whatever the case is...Go Meredith!!

Scoobiedoo30 · 12-02-2009, 02:35 PM

I have to say I was shock when I saw it on MSNBC

Janice · 12-02-2009, 03:52 PM

Here's Meredith's interview on The Today Show.

http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/02/m...-baxter-gay%2F

sandydec · 12-02-2009, 04:08 PM

Right on, Meredith! Continued happiness to you.

Scoobiedoo30 · 12-02-2009, 04:20 PM

Thanks for posting The Inviewer

MickeyMac · 12-02-2009, 06:57 PM

I always thought that Meredith Baxter was an attractive woman who could have any man she wanted. However since she is not into men, to each his own I suppose.

Family Ties Forever! · 12-02-2009, 08:08 PM

Wow, this came as a shock.

Quote:

link

'Family Ties' Actress Says She's A Lesbian
Meredith Baxter Says She Had 'Later-In-Life Recognition'

Posted: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Updated: 12:27 pm CST December 2, 2009

AP Photo/Richard Drew
Meredith Baxter

New York -- Meredith Baxter, who played mother Elyse Keaton on the 1980s TV series "Family Ties," has revealed that she is a lesbian.

"I am a lesbian, and it was a later-in-life recognition of that fact," the 62-year-old actress said in an interview Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show.

Baxter said she has been in a relationship with her girlfriend, a general contractor, for four years.

"Some people are saying, were you living a lie? And, you know, the truth is, not at all. This has only been in the past seven years," she said.

Baxter has been married three times, including to David Birney, her co-star on the '70s TV series "Bridget Loves Bernie." She is the mother of five children.

Baxter said she is "extraordinarily happy" and the support from her family and friends was immediate and unqualified.

NBC is owned by General Electric Co.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

GGfanforlife · 12-02-2009, 09:53 PM

Good for her on coming out publicy. That does take a lot of guts.

12-02-2009, 04:09 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,448	Meredith Baxter to Reveal She's a Lesbian on The Today Show Link It's just a coincidence Meredith Baxter recently appeared in the Hallmark Channel's ''Bound By a Secret,'' but ironically the actress reveals a very personal secret on ''Today'' Wednesday morning. Baxter, perhaps best known for her seven years playing TV mom Elyse Keaton on ''Family Ties'' in the 1980s, will be the latest star to come out of the closet, revealing she is a lesbian. While Baxter's spokesman, Howard Bragman, declined to comment on the story Tuesday, a solid source confirmed the actress will talk about her decision to go public on the NBC morning show. Married three times and the mother of five children, Baxter is the focus of a current National Enquirer story revealing that the former Emmy nominee had been on a ''Sweet Caribbean Cruise'' specifically targeted to lesbians -- a cruise also taken by openly gay actress Kelly McGillis. According to the Enquirer report, Baxter was ''traveling with a female friend, and seemed very relaxed and comfortable.'' In another intriguing twist, the official Web site of the Meredith Baxter Fan Club states the actress is ''noted for her accessible portrayals of intelligent, independent women who struggle with the challenges before them.'' • Following in the footsteps of her aunt, ''All About Eve'' star Anne Baxter, Meredith first found fame in the 1970s, co-starring on TV's "Bridget Loves Bernie" with David Birney, who would later become her second husband. She went on to receive two Emmy nominations for playing Nancy Lawrence Maitland on the esteemed TV drama ''Family.'' After her long '80s run with ''Family Ties,'' Baxter directed and starred in a long list of TV movies, including the CBS after-school special ''Other Mothers,'' in which she played a lesbian mother raising a young son -- a performance that garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1993. • The appearance on ''Today'' is something of a mini-reunion for Baxter, who temporarily co-hosted with Matt Lauer in 2006. • Baxter's five-year marriage to Robert Lewis Bush ended in 1971, a union that produced two children. The actress and Birney are the parents of three children. After 15 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1989.
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12-02-2009, 06:01 AM	#3
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,714	Wow... I had no idea! Kudos to Meredith for coming out at this point in her long and successful career!
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12-02-2009, 08:23 AM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	WOW - I had no idea, either!!
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12-02-2009, 01:15 PM	#7
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I had no Idea
	__________________ Who Dat

12-02-2009, 01:53 PM	#8
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,361	I saw this and I was flabbergasted! That was a surprise I didn't see coming. But whatever the case is...Go Meredith!!
	__________________ 10 AND A HALF YEARS GOING STRONG!!!

12-02-2009, 04:22 AM	#2
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	Good for her! I think that its great that she's doing this.

12-02-2009, 12:40 PM	#5
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	Go Meredith!!!

12-02-2009, 01:09 PM	#6
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,094	I just heard about this on XM. I do remember seeing that special Other Mothers years ago on HBO. HBO for awhile aired CBS after school specials.

12-02-2009, 02:35 PM	#9
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I have to say I was shock when I saw it on MSNBC

12-02-2009, 03:52 PM	#10
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Here's Meredith's interview on The Today Show. http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/02/m...-baxter-gay%2F

12-02-2009, 04:08 PM	#11
sandydec Member First Time Poster Join Date: Dec 02, 2009 Location: chicago Posts: 1	Right on, Meredith! Continued happiness to you.

12-02-2009, 04:20 PM	#12
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	Thanks for posting The Inviewer

12-02-2009, 06:57 PM	#13
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	I always thought that Meredith Baxter was an attractive woman who could have any man she wanted. However since she is not into men, to each his own I suppose.

12-02-2009, 09:53 PM	#15
GGfanforlife Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 13, 2009 Posts: 35	Good for her on coming out publicy. That does take a lot of guts.
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