Who Are Jodie Foster Parents? Was Foster Born in a Wealthy Family?

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Who Are Jodie Foster Parents? Was Foster Born in a Wealthy Family?
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The Academy Winning actress Jodie Foster is the youngest daughter of Evelyn Ella “Brandy” or Evelyn “Brandy” Almond Foster and Lucius Fisher Foster III. Both of her parents are now dead. However, when alive, one of Jodie’s parents helped her and her brother to establish their acting careers.
On the other hand, the Golden Globe-winning actress didn’t really have a good relationship with her father, Lucius. Turns out the man was somewhat of a deadbeat and even until his death remained estranged from his actress daughter.
Jodie’s mother, however, survives dearly on her daughter and her other children’s memory. Read more about her and her ex-husband in the headers up ahead.

Jodie Foster’s Parents; Her Mother Grew Up In Illinois And Was A Lesbian

Foster’s mother, Evelyn or Brandy, who was born in the Bronx, New York, grew up in Rockford Illinois. She studied at St Mary’s Academy in Milwaukee. After graduating, Brandy, who was a lesbian, and her girlfriend moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s. Shortly, Evelyn would get a job as a buyer of baby clothes for Robinson’s Department Store.
During her youth, Brandy once was also a big band singer.

Jodie Foster’s Parents; How Did They Meet? Their Relationship

Evelyn met Jodie’s father Lucius at a fencing match in California. He at the time was an Air Force Lieutenant.

Lucius once was already in a marital relationship before marrying Jodie’s mother, Evelyn. In fact, from his past marriage, he had become a father to three sons.

One of Jodie Foster's parents, Evelyn with her daughter Jodie in Dec 2007
Jodie with her ex-manager and mother Evelyn in Dec 2007. AP

Jodie’s parents, Evelyn and Lucius married in Las Vegas in 1953 but they ended their union before the birth of The Accused actress. Brandy was four months pregnant with Jodie when she and Lucius got divorced in 1962.

Lucius years later in an interview revealed that he divorced Jodie’s mother because she was a lesbian. They had briefly reunited but couldn’t work out their relationship. The former couple, nonetheless, ended up conceiving Jodie.

When together, Evelyn and Lucius had four children including Jodie. The others are Lucinda, Constance, and Lucius.

Jodie’s Father Didn’t Help Her Mother Much After The Divorce

Foster’s dad apparently didn’t support the actress’ mother much following his separation from her. Despite California being a community property state, Brandy in an interview said her divorce from Lucius included no community property to divide. The court only awarded $600 a month for the support of herself and her then-three children with one more on the way.
Actress Jodie and her father Lucius at the 1992 Oscars
The Taxi Driver Actress Jodie Foster with her father Lucius at the 1992 Oscars. Alamy

Evelyn got $600 a month from Lucius for three or four months. After that, however, the money started to come in late and later in half. Following that, Brandy started running toward her ex-husband’s real estate office just to plead for support money. Evelyn, in Oct 1976, told the Spokesman-Review that those times were very humiliating for her.

According to Evelyn, her then-ex-husband was ignoring her and her children just like he had shunned his three sons from his ex-wife.

Foster’s Mother Managed Most Of Her And Her Brother’s Acting Career

Following her divorce from Lucius, Brandy started raising children with her female partner in Los Angeles.

She initially worked as a publicist for the film producer Arthur P Jacobs. Jacobs worked with Hollywood royals like Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, and Marilyn Monroe.

The late Evelyn Brandy Foster, Former manager of Jodie and Buddy Foster and also Jodie's mother
The Silence Of The Lamb actress Jodie Foster’s mother Evelyn Brandy Foster

Sometimes later, Evelyn began managing the acting careers of her children Lucius and Jodie. Brandy managed her daughter Jodie until her second-best actress Oscar victory in 1991 for The Silence Of The Lambs.

Lucius or Buddy starred in the 1968-1971 CBS series Mayberry RFD. In the show, Evelyn’s son portrayed the character of Ken Berry’s son.

How Jodie Foster’s Mother Helped Her Children To Become Famous?

Brandy during her 1976 interview said she was lucky to be able to help her children gain success in show business.

As such when she had no home, not enough money, and four children to feed, it was one of her friends with a large house who offered them to move in with her.

Brandy, at the time, also had a neighbor whose child was already in show business making TV commercials. Evelyn eventually started taking her son and Jodie’s brother Buddy to agencies and he ultimately started getting commercials and later developed into the family’s breadwinner. Brandy’s son was raking in about $25,000 a year.

Jodie Foster’s Parents’ Death

Jodie Foster’s mother Evelyn died on May 13 2019 at her Los Angeles home. The actress’s mother lost her life from complications with respect to dementia. Brandy at the time was 90. Her family described her as the strongest person they’d ever met.

Jodie Foster’s father Lucius died estranged from her daughter and quite secretly from Alzheimer’s disease. He apparently took his last breath on Oct 8, 2016, just a few miles from his actress daughter’s $15 million mansion. Jodie, however, had just sold the property a couple of weeks earlier.

Lucius’ death certificate says he died from Cardiopulmonary arrest and Alzheimer’s disease. The Sun claims that Foster’s dad died penniless living on just $153 a week.

During the time of his death, Lucius was at his one-bedroom apartment in North Hollywood Los Angeles that he shared with his then-wife Madeline Leon.

Foster’s Parents; The Actress Didn’t Have A Good Relationship With Her Father

Jodie never established a relationship with her father. The father-daughter didn’t even meet each other when the latter had achieved media success. According to the Sun, Lucius and Jodie didn’t reunite all the way up to the death of the former. The father of a celebrity additionally didn’t have it good with his other children.

Jodie had a difficult relationship with her father mostly because of how he treated her mother after their divorce. The actress’s father, Lucius once was a wealthy businessman. Jodie’s dad apparently was the descendant of John Alden, who arrived in North America on the historic 1620 voyage of the Mayflower.

Lucius was also the scion of a wealthy Chicago family.

One of Jodie Foster's parents, Lucius leaving court in Los Angeles after his tax fraud trial
Jodie Foster’s father Lucius left his tax fraud trial. Splash News

As mentioned, he additionally was an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Lucius was a World War 2 veteran. He later became a real estate broker.

When alive, Foster’s father had also involved himself in one or two controversies. In 2011, he scammed $100,000 out of poor and elderly people. In the aftermath, Foster’s dad received seven years of imprisonment but only served two.

During his final years, Lucius was living with his last wife Leon at the Noho Senior Arts Colony.

As for Jodie, the actress is married to Alexandra Hedison and is also a mother to two children Kit Bernard Foster and Charles Bernard Foster.

Was Jodie Foster Born in a Wealthy Family?

Yes, Jodie was from a wealthy family where her late father was a real estate tycoon and her mother was a manager. However, as said above, Foster never could have a good relationship with her father until his death.

David

Narayan Shankar, who goes by the name David, is a seasoned writer and editor, who has a passion for covering the entertainment industry. He has years of experience writing content, especially in the entertainment niche. He is currently an editor and writer for celebsuburb.com along with other websites under our organization named Pandora Group of Companies.