After guarding her private life fiercely for 15 years, Hollywood actress Jodie Foster has publicly acknowledged her lesbian partner.

The Oscar-winning actress thanked "my beautiful Cydney" after winning an award at the Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast in Los Angeles.

She went on to praise Cydney Bernard, saying the film producer "sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss".

Despite more than a decade of speculation, questions over the paternity of her two sons and critics calling for her be “out and proud”, Foster has refused to discuss her sexuality.

The 44-year-old maintained her silence when, earlier this year, gay American magazine Out put a picture of her on its cover above the words “The glass closet – why the stars won’t come out and play.” Inside, it was argued “the stars aren’t willing to make the jump to being officially labelled queer and all that it represents in the business.”

Now that Foster has, reactions are mixed. On American website Gay.com, readers posted comments praising the actress for coming out, while others expressed anger that it was considered news.

“It is her life to live as she pleases. Why do so many gays worry about who is and who is not gay?” asked one reader

“Whether or not Jodie comes out is definitely her own decision, but she would provide an excellent positive role model to GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] people everywhere. I think that is why we get excited when someone comes out,” posted another.

Foster is one of only a few Hollywood actresses to have publicly acknowledged they are lesbian. Comedian Ellen de Generes made headlines when she came out in 1997, as did her partner Portia de Rossi when she was photographed kissing then girlfriend Francesca Gregorini in 2001.

Foster reportedly met Bernard on the set of Sommersby in 1993. The actress later gave birth to sons Charles, 9, and Kit, 6.

The actress found world-wide fame at 14, playing a prostitute opposite Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver before going on to star in Bugsy Malone, Freaky Friday, The Silence of the Lambs and Nell.

Her latest movie Nim’s Island is due for release in May next year.

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