Saffron’s full of secrets! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Saffron Burrows has revealed in a new interview that she secretly married her “extraordinary” longtime girlfriend Alison Balian 16 months ago. As if that wasn’t surprising enough, the former model also gave birth to the couple’s son, now 2.
“I chose to speak to you because I don’t want to lie by omission and I want to be very straightforward about my life,” the British star, 42, recently told The Guardian’s Hermione Hoby. “I don’t want to hesitate and feel hindered by something I haven’t said. Also, I’m really proud of my family and who they are, these two individuals beside me. That’s certainly my proudest achievement. And for my boy, I want to be honest with him because he deserves it—but also proud.”
The former Law & Order: Criminal Intent star admitted that she decided to share more about her personal life after reading Maria Bello’s riveting New York Times article describing her relationship with a woman back in December 2013. She also shared what she thinks about labeling one’s sexuality.
“I think for a while I was just avoiding conversations, in order to not be labeled in some way that I felt was limiting and not actually true to who I am. I really salute these young women who come out, but if I said I was gay that wouldn’t be true,” she said.
“For people in general, I think they should name themselves in whatever way they wish. The flourishing of the gay movement in America is clearly very necessary and the identity that people could proudly lay claim to is crucial,” she continued. “Lives are lost every day because of bigotry in this country. So I think that should not prevail.”
Burrows, like Bello, has had long-lasting relationships with men in the past. She previously was engaged to Good Wife and Broadway actor Alan Cumming, and dated director Mike Figgis for several years. (Cumming married his boyfriend Grant Shaffer in a civil ceremony in 2007 and again in January 2012.)
“In the same way, when I started to have relationships, I didn’t think about what I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to feel, or who I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to love, and consequently I’ve loved some really incredible men and some really incredible women,” Burrows told The Guardian. “There’s no coming out to do because I’ve always just followed my heart and I was lucky enough to have parents who didn’t impose any bigotry on me. So to come out would actually be an untruth because the men I’ve loved were very vivid, real, loving relationships.”
With that said, Burrows is more than grateful for the family she and Balian have built together. “I want us to live a very honest life with each other,” she added of Balian, who writes for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “So I’m with this woman now who’s extraordinary and that’s what we’re doing.”
