Jodie Foster was estranged from her father, Lucius Foster, for much of her life primarily because he left her mother shortly after Jodie's birth.
The Genesis of the Estrangement
The enduring estrangement between Jodie Foster and her father, Lucius Foster, stemmed from his departure from her mother, Evelyn Ella Almond. Lucius walked out on Evelyn shortly after the actress was born, leading to a lifelong distance between father and daughter.
- Parental Separation: Lucius Foster separated from Evelyn Ella Almond, Jodie's mother, very soon after Jodie's birth. This immediate absence of her father from her life was the foundational cause of their estrangement.
- Contested Claims: Lucius Foster reportedly claimed that the divorce was due to Evelyn being a lesbian. Interestingly, the couple had separated and reconciled prior to Jodie's conception, specifically to have another child, which was Jodie herself. Despite this attempt at reconciliation for the sake of family expansion, their relationship ultimately dissolved, resulting in Lucius's permanent separation from the family unit shortly after Jodie's arrival.
This early and profound separation established a pattern of non-involvement, leading to Jodie Foster remaining estranged from her father for the majority of her life.