Meredith Baxter Reveals She's Gay

By PopEater Staff Posted Dec 2nd 2009 07:56AM

After recent reports say 'Family Ties' mom Meredith Baxter was spotted on a gay cruise, the actress is coming clean on 'Today,' saying: "I want to say I'm a lesbian, and it was a later-in-life recognition." In an interview with Matt Lauer, Baxter -- who has been married three times and has five children -- says she figured out her sexuality seven years ago.

"Some people would say, well, you're living a lie and, you know, the truth is – not at all. This has only been for the past seven years," Baxter told Lauer. She says she didn't disclose this before because she has "always lived a very private life," and that "to come out and disclose stuff is very antithetical to who I am."

Baxter says that she realized she needed to come forward because she "got involved with someone I never expected to get involved with, and it was an awakening. I understood why I have the issue in my life ... I was involved with people who made me think they're the problem. It never occurred to me, that it was me," Baxter said.

The actress has been dating building contractor Nancy Locke for four years and acknowledges that she's the reason she decided to come out publicly.

"As much as my family knew, I was not ready to make any big announcement, I didn't want to do that. And there was one time when I was concerned that there might be some press interest ... I didn't know but I got a little paranoid and Nancy's a general contractor so she has a truck ... And I said, 'Could you park down the street, please?' and she said, 'No.'" Meredith explained.

"I had to reach a level of comfort because it wasn't fair to push her back into secrecy. We live very out lives in Los Angeles," she said.

According to LimeLife, Locke, who is 54, and Baxter met through mutual friends.

Speculation about Meredith's sexuality was raised when tabloid magazine The National Enquirer reported that she was spotted on a gay cruise recently.

Baxter shot to fame thanks to her role as matriarch Elyse Keaton on the hit '80s sitcom 'Family Ties.' Before her success there, she already had a long career in showbiz, with acting gigs dating all the way back to 1971. She had stints on 'The Love Boat,' 'Family' and 'Bridget Loves Bernie,' among other shows and movies.

Watch: Vintage 'Family Ties' Christmas Story

Baxter has five children from three separate marriages. She had two children with husband Ted Bush, and later had three more with David Birney.

In recent years, Baxter has become very focused on charity work since she survived breast cancer. She's since started her own charity -- the Meredith Baxter Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

Tags: family ties, FamilyTies, meredith baxter, MeredithBaxter, today show, TodayShow

Comments

(855)

Wednesday 02 December

By Maddie

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Just like I think it is wrong to be a bigot.

By sweet

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yes but there is really only one judge to my knowledge that count and that judge has said "Be who is made you to be"

By Patti

I said it to myself before I scrolled the screen down. Don't ask me how I just knew. There was always something in her mannerism's that struck me, even though she said she just discovered it. I had a man tell me once that you could tell gay men by their eyes and after paying close attention he was correct.

As long as you are happy with yourself then that's all that matters.

By MRSMH computer

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No patti, we should not be forced to listen to this kind of trash.
Hide it at home.

By david

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Maybe this is the other side of the apple that Adam was'nt supposed to eat from

By Kanye

I agree with Barbwa. We should all be more tolerant with people who are different than we are, unless we don't agree with them. Then it's ok to call them names like knuckledraggers and pigs.

By hf201

Assuming you were being facetious, that's pretty funny!

By nick

I bet that mad Matt very sad, here he could give Tiger a lot of clever ways to get it on the side and not get caught?????

By actors secrets

these people enjoy doing drugs, the do staff that regular PEOPLE do not do...now most of the actors think the are gays...That is normal in Hollywood...they have done so much..the ultimate think is try to be a gay too.THEY THINK THEY ARE ABOVE GOD'S LAW.

sound like a bitter actor wannabe. Most actors I know are not gay. Yes some are but most are not.

By colorful

that is true actors think that is the ULTIMATE SCENE! you have to do it to show thw others actor you are capable of the ULTIMATE ACT!!!!

By coxunicorn

you sound very ignorant. oh yeah LEARN TO SPELL AND WRITE

By JULIE

I really don't care that she is gay. Does anyone care that I am not?

By E-Dude

If nobody cared then why is she on TV announcing she's a carpet muncher?

By Joyce Frisby

I am not now and never have been a Meredith Baxter fan. She has no idea how ashamed her children will be. Mom is one of those gays? Hide your head in shame. Is she just trying to have fun? A pretty poor way to do it.

By remmy

you are so right i think she has nothing better too do she can't get a man so now she is gay omg

By rmtemsguy

You......are a moron!!

By priscilla

wondering why these closet people think it is necessary to expose their sexuality to the world..like we care? ya think?????

By kazzoo57

apparently you do or you wouldn't have responded.

She came out because it was in the tabliods and in gossip sites with photos.

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