American actress Maria Bello has revealed that she is gay and has been in a longtime relationship with another women.

The 46 year-old wrote a very personal article in the ‘Modern Love’ section for The New York Times, published on Nov 29th.

Bello opened up about falling in love with her very close friend and how she broke the news to her 12 year-old son Jack.

Before Jack knew about his mother’s relationship, she always suspected he had suspicions and so she decided he should know.

“This was the moment I had been anticipating and dreading for months,” the actress wrote. “I took a deep breath, knowing that my answer, and his response, would have an impact on our lives for a very long time.”

“I was with someone romantically and I hadn’t told him,” Maria continued. “I had become involved with a woman who was my best friend, and, as it happens, a person who is like a godmother to my son.”

Bello, who starred in ‘Grown Ups’ and ‘Prisoners’, began a relationship with her friend Clare one year earlier, and she only realised her feelings for Clare when reading through some of her old journals.

Maria wrote, “I read about the handful of men and the one woman I had been in romantic relationships with, passages rife with pain and angst, It seemed when I was physically attracted to someone, I would put them in the box of being my 'soul mate' and then be crushed when things didn't turn out as I had hoped. “

“As I continued to look through photos, I came across a black-and-white one of my best friend and me taken on New Year’s Eve. We looked so happy, I couldn’t help but smile.”

She added, ‘It didn't occur to me, until that soul-searching moment in my garden that we could perhaps choose to love each other romantically.”

Shortly after this, Maria opened up to her friend about her feelings and then they began to try and figure out how to tell people of their romantic relationship.

Her son Jack said “‘Mom, love is love, whatever you are.” The actress’s parents were also supportive, she wrote, “My father's response came between puffs of his cigar while we sat on the roof of a casino in Atlantic City, ‘“She's a good girl, good for you.’”

Maria Bello
Maria Bello has revealed she is gay