Jodie Foster once said she liked creating “compartments” for each part of her life. For about 14 years, one of those compartments included Cydney Bernard.
Who is Cydney Bernard, you ask?
Stick around because I have seven must-know facts about her relationship with the True Detective star!
Cydney Bernard: Quick Bio
Let’s kick things off with a quick bio of Bernard!
- Full Name: Cydney Ellen Bernard
- Birthdate: March 30, 1953
- Parents: Thomas Joseph Bernard and Kit Bernard
- Siblings: Thomas Bernard and Dustin Bernard
- Ex-Partner: Jodie Foster
- Children: Charles and Christopher “Kit”
- Profession: Film producer and production manager
7 Things You Didn’t Know About About Cydney Bernard
If there’s one thing people know about Bernard, she was linked to the movie star Jodie Foster for a while.
But you probably want to dig deeper. So, here’s a list of facts to check out:
1. She Was Born Into an Acting Family
It’s not a shock that Cydney Bernard pursued a career in the entertainment industry. After all, her father was an actor.
Thomas “Tom” Bernard played the role of Harry in the 1955 movie “Rebel Without a Cause.” He also starred in “The Ruggles” series, playing the part of Chuck Ruggles himself. Believe it or not, he even did an episode of the “Adventures of Superman” with George Reeves!
But Cydney’s father wasn’t the only talented person in the family. Her older brother, Dustin, is also a unit production manager. I was surprised to know that he worked on the sets of “Suicide Squad,” “Pacific Rim,” “The Pink Panther 2,” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.”
Little is known about Cydney Bernard’s mother, though.
2. She Started Her Career Working With Neil Leifer
Cydney Bernard’s first introduction to the film industry was on the set of “Yesterday’s Hero,” starring Suzanne Somers, Ian McShane, and Adam Faith.
Neil Leifer directed the movie, and Bernard worked right by his side as an assistant production coordinator. A decade later, she was the primary production coordinator on the set of “Cold Feet.”
She also worked on “L.A. Story,” “The Client,” “Bean,” and “Sommersby.”
3. Things Changed for Her on the Set of “Sommersby”
Of all the movies Bernard helped create, perhaps the 1993 movie “Sommersby” stands out the most. In case you didn’t know, Jodie Foster starred in this movie. So, it was a chance for Bernard to meet the three-time Golden Globe Award winner and get to know her better.
It’s rumored that this is when their relationship started, and the couple moved in together soon. But it’s hard to say because the two kept things under wraps.
Some say that Jodie Foster didn’t even want to hire household staff because she was worried that the details of her home life might leak out to the press.
4. She Adopted Jodie Foster’s Kids
On July 20, 1998, Foster welcomed her first, Charles. A few years later, she gave birth to her second son, Christopher, and Bernard adopted both of Foster’s kids. The two raised the boys together for a while.
It’s reported that both kids were conceived through an unknown donor. Some believe the donor was the late Hollywood producer Randy Stone, who also happened to be a close friend of Foster’s.
5. The Relationship With Jodie Foster Was Made Public (But Then Ended Pretty Quickly)
After about 14 of living together in Los Angeles, Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard decided to make their relationship public. The official reveal was during the actress’ acceptance speech at a film gala.
However, about five months later, the “True Detective: Night Country” star had another announcement to make. She and Cydeny Bernard had broken up.
As you might have guessed, Foster preferred not to reveal too much about her private life.
Still, it looks like the split was amicable. After all, Foster praised Bernard, saying she was one of her life’s deepest loves and a heroic co-parent. She also described her ex as her righteous soul sister.
6. One of Her Kids Is Into Acting
Cydney Bernard and Jodie Foster passed on their love of the film industry to their older child, Charlie. Back in 2007, Foster talked about how her boy is interested in the Hollywood lifestyle. He’d even ask her why she couldn’t get him a job.
I do not doubt that an actress of her caliber could have easily gotten her son a role if she wanted. However, Foster doesn’t seem to be a massive fan of nepotism. Instead, she told him he’d have to work for this and that theater was a good place to start.
Charlie Foster took that advice and ran with it, taking part in many theater productions (both as an actor and a crew member) during his time at Yale.
7. She Managed to Stay out of the Spot Light So Far
After her split up with Jodie Foster, Cydney Bernard chose to stay out of the limelight. She was seen with the actress again, but these are just casual meet-ups. They did share parenting duties for a while, after all.
On the other hand, Foster has dated other people, including Cynthia Mort, before marrying the photographer Alex Hedison.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to get the full scoop on the film producer and production manager, Cydney Bernard. As you can see, she seems like the type who likes to stay private, and you’ve got to respect a person who sets boundaries.
But will we see her work on another movie set soon? If so, which star will she work with this time?
